NederlandsHealthNet TPO in South Sudan
As a knowledge driven NGO, HealthNet TPO works on the sustainable (re)construction and rehabilitation of health care in areas disrupted by war or disaster. South Sudan is still a volatile region in which an urgent need is for accessible and quality health care. Therefore we aim to reconstruct health infrastructures and rebuild community trust for the Sudanese people. After all, rebuilding a country starts with health.
HealthNet TPO has been actively working in South Sudan since 1995, and presently works in Western Bahr el Ghazal State (target group 200,000) and Northern Bahr el Ghazal State (target group 130,000). In both areas HealthNet TPO through the Basic Services Fund resources works in collaboration with the South Sudanese Ministry of Health to strengthen the health system. This is done by providing direct support to health facilities and by building the capacity of the county health departments. In addition in Western Bahr el Ghazal, HealthNet TPO is providing mental health, psychosocial support and community systems strengthening through Dutch government funding (MFS II).
Read more about our programmes in the Republic of South Sudan
Republic of South Sudan
Area: 640.000 km²
Population: 9.7 million (2009, rough estimation)
Neighbouring states: Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Democratic Republic of
Congo and the Central African Republic
Capital: Juba
Government: Semi-autonomous republic
Religion: Traditional beliefs, Christianity and Islam
Background
There is no doubt that civil war, ethnic and religious differences and totalitarianism constitute a direct threat to the future survival of many millions of southern Sudanese people. Their primary challenge is to apply inventiveness and ingenuity in making peace and in solving their economic, social, and political problems. South Sudan now has its own constitution and seems well on the way to negotiating its own future. Yet the fact remains that the central power in Khartoum is highly reluctant to give up its power in the margins of its British inheritance. The conflict in the South has claimed lives of over two million people who have died of war, disease and famine with more than 4 million people displaced.
Early 2010 violence associated with cattle raiding and counter-raids has killed hundreds of people, mainly women and children, in Southern Sudan. The attacks stem from land and cattle disputes between ethnic groups and are compounded by the region’s history of economic and political marginalization. In addition to putting new populations at risk, the violence has also complicated the repatriation of displaced civilians and the delivery of aid.
The large-scale return of IDPs and the need for extensive capacity building at all levels, including government and public institutions, as well as civil society organizations will require an above ordinary collective effort. The situation is further compounded by the continued existence of armed groups and armed civilians who seriously affect sustainable recovery in South Sudan.
Southern Sudan’s complex needs call for a multi-track approach. The situation urgently requires simultaneous investment for emergency relief and development. As of 9 July 2011, South Sudan became an independent country. The challenges for the new state are enormous and the future is still uncertain. The delivery of essential services and support to the Government of Southern Sudan (GoSS) must be accelerated in order to lay the foundations for sustainable development – a pre-requisite to a lasting peace.
