At least 76 percent of South Sudanese live on less than $95 annually: World Bank report

By Denis Ejulu

At least 76 percent of the 12.4 million population estimate of South Sudan live below the national poverty line of 358,724 South Sudan Pound (95 U.S dollars) per person per year, a new World Bank report revealed on Tuesday.

The South Sudan Poverty and Equity Assessment (PEA) report based on the recent South Sudan House hold Budget Survey; indicates that poverty is endemic, and vulnerability is almost universal following a decade of economic decline in the world’s youngest country.

It noted that over two-thirds of the population lives on less than 2.15 dollars per person per day, highlighting the dire situation in the country.

“Weak governance, multiple shocks, lack of economic opportunity, high food prices, and conflict have all contributed to increased poverty and vulnerability. South Sudan’s challenges are many, but I also think that there are real opportunities to improve people’s livelihoods. Key ways to achieve this goal include better management and utilization of the country’s resources and fostering a stable secure environment where citizens can farm, work, and invest in order to provide themselves with a better future,” Charles Undeland, World Bank Group Country Manager for South Sudan said during the launch of the report in Juba.

The report highlights that widespread and extreme poverty stems from a combination of complex historical and systemic factors, including persistent conflicts and violence, inadequate capacity of the state to deliver essential services to the population, weak governance, and recurrent natural disasters.

It warns that household strategies to cope with adversity have exacerbated vulnerability and have negatively impacted the capacity of most South Sudanese to withstand future shocks.

Frank Adoho, World Bank Senior Economist for South Sudan noted that food insecurity is a widespread issue in South Sudan and has worsened recently with the spike in inflation, adding that high food prices limit access to food, even in rural areas where over half of households depend on market purchases to acquire food.

“Insecurity, population displacements, and low agricultural investment have reduced food production, contributing to the high rates of food insecurity. Investing in agriculture and road infrastructure would enhance market integration, connect rural areas with towns, and improve food delivery, thereby lowering staple food prices and reducing import dependence,” Adoho said.

The report highlights that even non-poor South Sudanese are only one shock away from poverty, adding that vulnerability, defined as the probability that a household remains in or falls into poverty in the near future, is quasi universal at over 99 percent.

It said that high levels of vulnerability are mostly explained by the very low levels of human and physical capital of the South Sudanese population, which locks people into chronic poverty.

It called for strong investments in basic services and infrastructure to reduce vulnerability of the population despite peace and security being immediate priorities and foundational conditions.

The report called on authorities to invest in data and statistical capacity to narrow large data and knowledge gaps, adding that South Sudan’s statistical system is weak and complicates informed decision and policymaking.

“The challenge facing policymakers in South Sudan is to design and implement sustainable, well targeted policy interventions to address extreme poverty and food security. Effective policymaking relies on credible evidence, requiring increased investment in building a robust statistical system to support these interventions,” Augustino Ting Mayai, Director General for the South Sudan National Bureau of Statistics said.