Policy Brief: The COVID-19 Pandemic Vulnerability Factors in South Sudan

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Publication Summary

This analysis identifies and discusses the COVID-19 vulnerability factors in South Sudan, summarized as follows:

• South Sudan is overly reliant on humanitarian assistance and imports of basic commodities, both of which are considered high risk channels for COVID-19 transmission.

• Healthcare system in South Sudan is underdeveloped and one of the weakest in the world. Although South Sudan has been able to detect, isolate and provide some care for the COVID-19 patients, its health system could be overwhelmed if the number of cases continues to rise, as it has recently been observed.

• State fragility weakens law enforcement institutions to penetrate the depth and breadth of the country to enforce travel bans, social distancing protocols, and hygienic practices.

• Population density poses a great risk in South Sudan because of the nature of settlements and household sizes. Many people live in informal, clustered settlements and in big households, with some homes housing about 30 people or more at a time, an environment favorable for the transmission and spread of COVID-19.

• Natural disasters such as floods and droughts not only overstretch state capacity, they also make population more susceptible and vulnerable as a result of displacement and loss of livelihoods, exacerbating their vulnerability to COVID-19.

• South Sudan depends on a single source of income—oil, which is not doing so well now in the global market. This has huge implications for both the economy and the health system in general, as the country is not able to generate sufficient resources to fight the pandemic and cushion people and businesses against economic shocks.

• Poor and illiterate individuals are vulnerable to COVID-19 as their access to economic resources and written materials is virtually impaired.

• Last but not least, lack of government transparency and restrictions on press freedom threaten the citizens’ ability to freely voice their concerns and hold the government accountable in the fight against the pandemic.

To overcome these vulnerability factors, we recommend the following:

• The government should leverage bilateral and multilateral support for humanitarian, medical assistance in form of testing equipment and healthcare facilities, among others.

• Carry out mass testing to identify and contain infections.

• Monitor the border, track cases, and produce and distribute facemasks.

• Create a joint force to impose social distancing measures, travel ban and lockdown.

• Reach out to benevolent individuals and countries with the support of UN agencies to mobilize resources to provide relief food to cushion the vulnerable households.

• Provide security and put an end to communal fights in the countryside to create a conducive environment for farming.

• Immediately form the state and local governments to help with the fight against COVID-19 and to ensure law and order.

Abraham Awolich's Biography^[1]

Abraham Awolich is the Managing Director of the Sudd Institute. Awolich’s research has focused on management of development organizations working in conflict mitigation, governance and business management. Awolich is the co-founder of the Sudan Development Foundation and the former Executive Director of New Sudan Education Initiative (NESEI). Previous to joining the Sudd Institute, Awolich helped establish a secondary school in Yei and a medical clinic in Kalthok, Awerial County. Awolich has a Master’s Degree in Pubic Administration from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University and Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Vermont in Anthropology and Business Administration. Awolich is a McNair Scholar and winner of the prestigious Samuel Huntington Public Service Award in 2006.

Nhial Tiitmamer's Biography^[2]

Nhial Tiitmamer is the Director of the Environmental and Natural Resources Program at the Sudd Institute and a part-time lecturer at the University of Juba. Before joining The Sudd Institute in 2013, Nhial spent research and consulting stints at Arletta Environmental Consulting in Calgary and at the University of Alberta in Canada. Nhial holds a B.A. in Environmental Studies with a minor in English Literature from the University of Alberta’s Augustana Campus and an M.Sc. in Sustainable Energy Development from the University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada. Nhial is the co-founder of the NewSudanVision.com and has extensively commented and written on issues about South Sudan and Sudan.

References

1. ^{^} Abraham Awolich's Biography (www.suddinstitute.org)
2. ^{^} Nhial Tiitmamer's Biography (www.suddinstitute.org)