9 Jul 2021

South Sudan in crisis on major anniversary

From Midday Report, 12:55 pm on 9 July 2021

Today marks the tenth anniversary of independence for the youngest country in the world - South Sudan. Yet, it's facing a major humanitarian crisis, with millions of children not in school and suffering from malnutrition. A UNICEF report found two-thirds of children in South Sudan are in desperate need of support. There's been violence and conflict in the country, but also floods, droughts and other extreme weather events fuelled by climate change. UNICEF says 8.3 million people in South Sudan need humanitarian support - more than the numbers seen during the civil war from 2013 to 2018. Worldwatch's Max Towle spoke to World Vision's director in South Sudan, Dr Mesfin Loha