Highlights
With 51 per cent of primary and lower secondary age children not accessing an education. South Sudan is home to the highest proportion of out of school children in the world. Even before the 2013 conflict, only one in ten children in South Sudan completed primary school, with 1.4 million children out of school across the country. The ensuing two years of violence has exacerbated the situation forcing 413,000 more children out of school, and leading to the destruction of more than 800 schools. UNICEF is targeting 325,000 children with Education in Emergencies support in 2016.
In 2015, 138,213 children were admitted for the treatment ofsevere acute malnutrition across the country, or 91 per cent of the target for 2015. Based on UNICEF and partners’ demonstrated capacity to respond, and the continued deterioration in the food security and nutrition situation, UNICEF has increased its target from 60 to 70 per cent of the estimated caseload and is aiming to treat 166,222 children in 2016.
On 26 December 2015, when the SPLA/M-in Opposition leadership signed the “Action Plan between the Sudan People’s Liberation Army – in Opposition (SPLA-IO) and the United Nations Country Task Force on Monitoring and Reporting in South Sudan committing the SPLA-IO to end and prevent recruitment and use of children and killing and maiming of children.”
Situation Overview & Humanitarian Needs
Since the conflict began two years ago, 2.3 million people have been displaced from their homes in South Sudan, with nearly 1.7 million remaining as IDPs inside the country. According to UNMISS, as of 17 December, the estimated number of civilians seeking safety in six Protection of Civilians (PoC) sites is 185,498 including 106,534 in Bentiu, 27,950 in Juba UN House, 47,791 in Malakal, 2,289 in Bor, 700 in Melut and 234 in Wau. The security situation remained tense and unpredictable with a sense of uneasy calm in most parts of the country.
Ceasefire violations by the traditional opponents in the crisis seemed to have diminished as focus was on the political processes in line with the implementation of the Peace Agreement. The latest positive political developments were the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission facilitated selection of ministerial portfolios for the Transitional Government on 7 January and official joining of the ruling government by David Yau Yau and his subsequent dissolution of his Cobra Faction on 11 January.