JUBA – The UK charity for children, Save the Children South Sudan, on Friday raised concerns over the ongoing serious violations of children’s rights in the country.
Addressing reporters at a press conference in Juba on Friday, Christopher Nyamandi, Country Director for Children South Sudan, stated that the organization aims to ensure that violence against children and other forms of abuse are no longer tolerated.
“When we were in the field visiting together, we were informed by the government about child abduction; these issues were also raised by communities,” said Nyamandi.
He said they will continue to advocate against child abductions, recruitment of children into armed groups, and other serious violations.
“We were informed about the recruitment of children into armed groups, and we were told about sexual violence against children.”
Nyamandi said child abduction and recruitment into armed groups are still on the rise in Africa’s youngest nation.
“One of our ambitions as Save the Children is that violence against children and any violations are no longer tolerated, and right now in South Sudan, there are still serious violations that children are experiencing,” he said.
For his part, Adrian Forster, the Chief Executive Officer for Save the Children in Switzerland, stated that people are suffering from devastating flooding and sporadic conflict across the country.
“This crisis comes at a time when already 70 percent of the population needs humanitarian assistance. We have 1.2 million refugees coming from Sudan, with hundreds arriving monthly, on top of 2 million internally displaced people. Food rations have been reduced,” said Forster.
“The funding is now uncertain, and the crisis is massive. There is a significant influx of refugees from Sudan, and at the same time, internal displacement due to conflict and climate change.”
Meanwhile, Danny Glenwright, the Chief Executive Officer for Save the Children Canada, said the country is facing immense crises as a result of massive flooding and intermittent conflict, leading to displacement across the country.
“The country is in a multifaceted crisis, facing challenges around peacebuilding and trying to develop the country’s infrastructure and social services, as well as navigating conflict that is always bubbling,” said Glenwright.
“The effects of climate change in this country are manifold; there is flooding, which makes it compelling to think about agricultural opportunities. It also presents challenges for people living there from a health perspective and from the standpoint of sustainability and predictability,” he said.
