About South Sudan

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South Sudan broke away from Sudan in 2011. It has a population of 12 million, with Christianity the majority religion. It's one of the poorest countries in the world. Most villages lack electricity, running water, and paved roads.

Civil war and fighting between government factions has led to ethnic violence, as powerful groups continue to fight for control of the new country, competing for resources from oil to grazing land. Our own Dave Watermulder weighs in on the situation in this recent news story.

Violence and famine forced the migration of almost 4 million people as they fled for safety. It escalated to the largest refugee crisis in Africa and a full-blown humanitarian emergency. 

Exiled South Sudanese people have sought peace in crowded refugee camps both inside and outside the borders of their native country. Conditions are often poor, resources lacking, and there's little or no formal education.

Children live as refugees, including many who have lost their parents. They have little access to proper schooling, so it takes donations from people like you to bring education to these rural, remote areas.

The United Nations High Commission Refugee Agency for South Sudan, an organization that protects refugees, forcibly displaced communities and stateless people, and assists in their resettlement explains the crisis here.