South Sudan gained independence from the North in 2011 after a 20-year-long war that claimed over two million lives.
Since then, over half a million refugees have ro returned their old homes in the South with next to nothing. Millions of children face no access to schools, basic health care, vaccination programmes or clean water. Children have also been severly affected by exposure to violence and conflict.
UNICEF has been working in Sudan for 60 years, providing essential humanitarian relief. Learn more about our work there.
Children play in flood waters in Bunj, South Sudan, which is home to four camps for Sudanese refugees.
Floodwaters heighten the risks of waterborne diseases, particularly in crowded refugee camps, and make it hard for aid workers to transport food and other critical supplies.
© UNICEF/NYHQ2012-1429/BRIAN SOKOL
This is 12-year-old Radwan in his classroom at a camp for refugees in Upper Nile State in South Sudan.
He fled for five days, barefoot, after his village was bombed and his home attacked.
Radwan wants to be an English teacher when he grows up. "School is the best thing about being here," her says. "Education is even more important than shoes. I would rather be in class with bare feet than have new clothes."
© UNICEF/NYHQ2012-1393/BRIAN SOKOL
Four-year-old Noor is being vaccinated by a health worker at a medical checkpoint at a camp in South Sudan.
Noor’s family fled their town in Sudan’s Blue Nile State in 2011 after their house and belongings were destroyed by bombing.
The camp is home to nearly 11,000 refugees. All families are registered, to ensure that children receive routine vaccinations and are screened for malnutrition.
© UNICEF/NYHQ2012-1411/BRIAN SOKOL
Eight-year-old Layla plays with a toy train at a UNICEF-supported child-friendly space at a refugee camp. The space provides education and counselling for children affected by conflict.
© UNICEF/NYHQ2012-1415/BRIAN SOKOL
Two-year-old Mustafa stands next to his mother as she prepares a meal at a UNICEF-supported centre for children with the most severe type of malnutrition.
Mustafa's parents fled when their village was bombed. His cousin and uncle are missing, feared dead. The family hid in a nearby forest for several days but the helicopters followed them there.
His mum was pregant when the family fled. She gave birth to Mustafa shortly after crossing the border into South Sudan.
© UNICEF/NYHQ2012-1403/BRIAN SOKOL
Children use their fingers to draw in the sand, in a camp for returning South Sudanese families, outside Juba, the capital.
The children have been watching a performance by a UNICEF-supported community organisation on the importance of being vaccinated. The group also educates local communities about breastfeeding, mosquito nets, sanitation and hygiene, and the prevention of HIV and AIDS.
© UNICEF/NYHQ2012-1420/BRIAN SOKOL
Children play at a water point, in a transit camp for returning South Sudanese families outside Juba, the capital. The water point was installed by UNICEF to give refugees access to clean, safe water.
Children face many difficulties because of conflict, many have become separated from their families. UNICEF works to trace family members and reunite children with their relatives.
© UNICEF/NYHQ2012-1419/BRIAN SOKOL
Omeda, a 10-year-old refugee, kneels on the side of a muddy road in in Upper Nile State.
Hundreds of thousands of new refugees from the north of Sudan have put huge pressure on the country's basic services, while an ongoing drought in East Africa has caused severe food shortages.
UNICEF is working to provide nutritious food, shelter and clean water to children affected by the conflict.
© UNICEF/NYHQ2012-1430/BRIAN SOKOL
Children from Sudan’s Blue Nile State stand in a field of tall grass, in a refugee camp in South Sudan. The camp hosts over 40,000 people.
UNICEF has operated in Sudan for almost 60 years, through decades of conflict, and we are one of the longest-operating organisations working for children across every state in the South. Learn more about our work in South Sudan.
© UNICEF/NYHQ2012-1401/BRIAN SOKOL
