Background

Sudan is Africa’s largest country with more than 100 languages and 19 major ethnic groups. Civil war in South Sudan since 1956, tribal struggles and ongoing conflicts over natural resources have left the people desperately poor, the country under-developed, and infrastructure destroyed or badly in need of repair.

The January 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement between the north and the south provides a major opportunity to redevelop this devastated area however the return of thousands of refugees from neighbouring countries is putting additional strain on the limited services and resources available. In South Sudan 90% of the population earn less that $1 a day, less than 76% of the population are literate and prevalence rates of diseases such as malaria and HIV/AIDS are increasing significantly. It is clear that the challenges for the newly formed government and NGO’s working in the region are significant.

Interact welcomes the involvement of the community and corporate sectors through our “local to local” model that supports international capacity building projects.