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On July 9, the Republic of South Sudan will celebrate its firstIndependence Day since its secession from the Republic of Sudan in2011. I recently traveled, first to Juba, the capital, and then tothe Aweil West and Aweil North areas of Northern Bahr el Ghazalstate -- a region bordering the Republic of Sudan where astaggering 800,000 people live below the poverty line. In this region, malnutrition rates rise and fall along with thelevels of food available pre- and post-harvest. In Aweil West, forinstance, fluctuations in child malnutrition rates from harvest tothe 'lean season' -- the time preceding the harvest when foodsupplies are at their lowest -- doubled from 12 percent to 26percent in November 2011. Given that a rate of 15 percent isconsidered to be at emergency-level, it is clear that communitiesin South Sudan are constantly confronting food insecurity, even intimes of what they consider to be 'plenty.' On traveling to one market, I met a woman who told me that they hadseen a three-fold increase in prices for their staple food, dura(sorghum). People are eating less food, less often. The food thatwas available lacked variety -- vegetables were few and far betweenwith the exception of a few small onions. Many of the vegetableswere imported. Because they are such a vital source of vitamins andminerals, vegetables, or rather not having vegetables, can have aprofound impact on the health and well-being of children. South Sudan is one of the least developed countries in the worldand has little or no infrastructure. To put this in perspective,there are currently less than 75 miles of paved road in thecountry, which is roughly the size of Texas. Where there is road,it is made of dirt and when the rain comes, 60 percent of thembecome impassable. Many communities are simply cut-off making keyfoods harder and more expensive to source. For these communities,importing food is impossible during the rainy season. The United Nations' Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs(OCHA) estimates that 4.7 million people -- half of the population ofSouth Sudan -- will be threatened by food insecurity in 2012. Onemillion of these people will be severely affected. Concern Worldwide is providing life-saving nutrition and primary health careservices, as well as livelihood activities that work to foster bothfood and economic security. To bolster food production, Concernworks with communities to improve their farming practices, fromusing donkeys to increase productivity, to following techniquesthat prevent crop loss, to ensuring that livestock stay healthythrough regular vaccinations, amongst other services. We alsodistribute seeds to women's groups so that they can start smallvegetable gardens to feed and support their families, while earninga small income from selling surplus in local markets. I was lucky to see some of these gardens firsthand. The women I metwere successfully growing tomatoes, cabbage (or sucamawiki , as they call it) and okra. After visiting the gardens, I spoke toabout 100 women underneath a very large tree about how the gardenshad impacted their lives. Most were cooking the vegetables fortheir families and selling any surplus for income. One woman toldme that her children were no longer as sick as they had been inprevious times. This statement strikes at the heart of whynutrition, particularly during early childhood, is so critical.Having greater diversity in her diet was leading to better healthfor her children. Despite the progress made by these gardens and other initiatives,the harsh reality is that South Sudan is a country starting at anincredible disadvantage. Instead of facing the task of rebuildingtheir country, as many new nations do, they must start completelyfrom scratch. The scale of the task at hand is evident in theextreme distances you have to travel between one place and thenext, in the fact that only 50 percent of children are in school,and in the stunning statistic that a 15-year-old girl is morelikely to die in child birth than finish school in South Sudan. Despite a relatively calm, ordered, and diplomatically-achievedindependence, outstanding challenges and disputes between theRepublic of Sudan and the Republic of South Sudan remain. We haveseen massive population migrations -- the biggest peacetimemovements of people since World War II -- as South Sudanese returnhome to their nascent country after years living not just in theRepublic of Sudan, but also in the United States, Europe, and otherparts of the globe. More than 375,000 are expected to have returnedto South Sudan from October 2010 to May 2012, according to OCHA. In many cases, the return home has been planned and gradual butfor many others, conflict on the border has forced them to flee toSouth Sudan. On top of food insecurity, South Sudan must contend with the longshadow these conflicts cast while the world holds its breath to seeif they will slide back into war with the Republic of Sudan. Forhumanitarian organizations, our main concern is having access tothose in need so we are able to assist communities on both sides ofthe border caught in disputed areas. The scale and breadth of the needs are already distressing. We saw a dramatic increase in the movement of refugees fromSouthern Kordofan and Blue Nile (in the Republic of Sudan) to UpperNile and Unity States in South Sudan in May. The refugee populationin Yida camp in Unity State has swollen to more than 35,000 people,bringing the number of people who have fled from Upper Nile statealone to 80,000. If war breaks out between South Sudan and the Republic of Sudan,fewer resources will be available to make the necessary investmentsthat will allow the South Sudanese people to lead fruitful,rewarding lives -- above the poverty line and food secure -- in thenew Republic of South Sudan. Looking back at my recent trip, I am heartened by the commitmentthat so many of the South Sudanese have to their country. It is myhope that this passion and commitment for South Sudan willtranslate into the right investments -- ones that boost itseconomy, build its infrastructure and break the cycle of povertyfor its people. About Concern Worldwide Concern Worldwide is an international, non-governmentalhumanitarian organization dedicated to reducing extreme poverty,with more than 3,200 personnel working in 25 of the poorestcountries in Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean. Concern Worldwidetargets the root causes of extreme poverty through programs inhealth, education, livelihoods and microfinance, HIV and AIDS, andemergency response, directly reaching more than 8.5 million people.To learn more, visit concernusa.org , like us on Facebook , or follow us on Twitter . Follow Paul O'Brien on Twitter: /@concern. I am an expert from nbf-powercable.com, while we provides the quality product, such as China Xlpe power cable , Aerial Insulated Cable, special cable,and more.
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