South Sudan

                  Established in 2011 out of a civil war, South Sudan is the world’s newest country. Unfortunately, although it gained independence from Sudan, South Sudan fell into a civil war of its own in 2013. A political struggle between the country’s president, Salva Kiir, and its vice president, Riek Machar, evolved into an ethnic war when the two largest ethnic groups took opposing sides in the struggle. The Dinka took the side of Kiir and the Nuer with Machar. Violence spread across South Sudan before a peace agreement was signed between the leaders in August 2015. The two sides took up arms again in 2016, continually violating cease-fires until a final agreement was reached in 2018. It was estimated that South Sudan’s civil war resulted in four million displacements and 400,000 deaths.

                  In addition to the effects of the five-year civil war, South Sudan faces environmental challenges and pressure from the current crisis in Sudan. According to the UN Environment Programme, South Sudan is among the five most climate-vulnerable countries in the world, and over 2 million people have been displaced due to flooding and drought. Since 1970, there has been a 10-20% decrease in average annual rainfall, making farming increasingly difficult. Additionally, the current civil war in Sudan is forcing refugees originally from South Sudan to return to their home country. Under the current environmental conditions, South Sudan likely cannot sustain a population influx.

                  As of June 2023, 2.3 million people were internally displaced and 2.4 million had fled the country, 65% of which were children.