JUBA — At least 76 percent of the estimated 12.4 million South Sudan population lives below the national poverty line of 358,724 South Sudan pounds (about 105 U.S. dollars) per person per year, a new World Bank report revealed on Tuesday.
According to the South Sudan Poverty and Equity Assessment report, which is based on the most recent South Sudan Household Budget Survey, the world’s youngest nation has experienced 10 years of economic decline, making poverty endemic and vulnerability nearly universal.
Charles Undeland, World Bank country manager for South Sudan, said weak governance, multiple shocks, lack of economic opportunity, high food prices, and conflict have all contributed to increased poverty and vulnerability.
“There are real opportunities to improve people’s livelihoods. Key ways to achieve this goal include better management and utilization of the country’s resources and fostering a stable secure environment where citizens can farm, work, and invest in order to provide themselves with a better future,” Undeland said during the launch of the report in Juba, the capital of South Sudan.
The report highlighted that widespread and extreme poverty stems from a combination of complex historical and systemic factors, including persistent conflicts and violence, inadequate capacity of the state to deliver essential services to the population, weak governance, and recurrent natural disasters.
Frank Adoho, World Bank senior economist for South Sudan, noted that food insecurity is a widespread issue in South Sudan and has worsened recently with the spike in inflation, adding that high food prices limit access to food, even in rural areas where over half of households depend on market purchases to acquire food.
“Insecurity, population displacements, and low agricultural investment have reduced food production, contributing to the high rates of food insecurity. Investing in agriculture and road infrastructure would enhance market integration, connect rural areas with towns, and improve food delivery, thereby lowering staple food prices and reducing import dependence,” Adoho said.
The report said that high levels of vulnerability are mostly explained by the very low levels of human and physical capital of the South Sudanese population, which locks people into chronic poverty. It called for strong investments in basic services and infrastructure to reduce the vulnerability of the population.
The World Bank urged authorities to invest in data and statistical capacity to narrow large data and knowledge gaps, adding that South Sudan’s statistical system is weak and complicates informed policymaking.
“The challenge facing policymakers in South Sudan is to design and implement sustainable, well-targeted policy interventions to address extreme poverty and food security. Effective policymaking relies on credible evidence, requiring increased investment in building a robust statistical system to support these interventions,” Director General for the South Sudan National Bureau of Statistics Augustino Ting Mayai said.
XINHUA