South Sudan’ teacher in the class marking student assignment. Credit, UNICEF South Sudan/Ryeng
South Sudan is grappling with a severe education crisis,
with only one teacher for every 140 students, exacerbated by the influx of
refugees from the Sudan conflict.
Despite over a million refugees arriving in the past two years, only 7% of the
regional refugee response plan is funded, according to the United Nations.
A recent EU-backed assessment reveals overstretched
healthcare, medicine shortages, overcrowded schools with one teacher per 140
students, and limited access to water and shelter.
"Over the past two years, South Sudanese communities
have shown remarkable generosity in welcoming people fleeing Sudan into their
homes. However, both host communities and refugees are facing growing pressure,
including economic hardship, climate shocks, conflict, and severe cuts in
humanitarian services," said Ms. Marie-Helene Verney, UNHCR's
Representative in South Sudan said in a statement.
“A response focused on recovery and transition supports
sustainable integration and lays the foundations for lasting peace.”
UNHCR warns that without immediate donor support, this
generosity and fragile stability may not last.
The assessment recommends expanding water infrastructure,
addressing teacher shortages, and investing in permanent school
facilities.
It also calls for healthcare upgrades, improved medicine
supplies, expanded staffing, and the resolution of housing disputes.
Since April 2023, the war in Sudan has displaced 13 million people, including over one million refugees and returnees to South Sudan.