In depth

Focus

Our focus is on helping communities to advance integrated recovery and resilience that addresses food security, reduces vulnerability and builds resilience against multiple shocks through a four pronged approach: nurturing partnerships for resilience and development; restoring livelihood and productive capacities; sustaining peace and rebuilding local institutions; and reestablishing access to basic services.

Joint Integrated Programme

UNDP South Sudan, with UNICEF, FAO, and WFP, are implementing $15 million integrated recovery and resilience area-based programme in Aweil.  This joint initiative promotes food security, generation of sustainable livelihoods, and reinvigorates the local economy while restoring basic services and strengthening community security, local institutions, and peace and social cohesion in targeted areas. 

Early achievements

Increased community access to gainful employment through the establishment of Aweil Community “Hai Salaam” women’s market, creation of emergency employment opportunities, training in agriculture and market aligned trades and linking to credit (revolving fund) thereby fostering alternative livelihoods and community economic interdependencies for 1,031 (842 female and 189 male) vulnerable youth and women.

Fostered community cohesion, peace and stability through cross-border migration conferences, establishing and operationalizing three peace committees; organizing dialogue with and training of 109 community members and peace committees (11 female and 98 male) of. Communities are now able to detect, prevent and respond to conflicts related to borders, cattle migration, and use of community resources (water, pasture/grazing).

Enhanced core local governance functions, accountability and local level security through the establishment of harmonized state revenue systems (for non-oil revenue); community policing committees; coaching and mentoring 28 civil servants, and provision of outreach/training of government and civil society personnel and community members.  A total of  2,781 (1,293 female) community members and leaders now have enhanced skills in leadership, participatory planning, budgeting, monitoring and evaluation; access to justice and rule of law, social accountability, and e-governance skills reaching thereby increasing and preserving local capacity to co-ordinate, plan, budget, and manage responsive and accountable service delivery.

Restoring livelihoods

Building on the early success in Aweil, UNDP is leading the expansion in sustainable livelihoods into Yambio. A rapid market assessment demonstrated the need for enhanced provision of carpentry, metal works and agriculture skill which informed the establishment of a new Yambio Vocational Training Centre. The centre will facilitate sustainable livelihood skills training for an initial cohort of 75 women and youth.

In addition, UNDP’s integrated Crisis Response Programme supports rapid business recovery, restores local markets, and provides skills development and income support. A market for women was established in Rejaf County, an area neighboring Juba which has seen an influx in displaced people relocating due to insecurity, to help restore community-level food supply. This new vegetable market is now serving approximately 9,000 residents.

Sustaining Peace

UNDP supports peace messaging and public awareness campaigns to create an inclusive and enabling environment for the national dialogue.  Focusing on community-led social cohesion initiatives, UNDP peacebuilding specialists and partners are supporting local peace committees, community dialogues in Yambio and Nzara counties and mechanisms to support trauma healing and counseling among conflict affected communities.

These critical interventions, with their community-led multiplier effect, are projected to reach more than 100,000 people. In addition, 80 traditional leaders, as well as leaders of youth and women organizations, will receive capacity training on local governance processes.

With support from the UN Peacebuilding Fund, UNDP and IOM are strengthening foundations for peace between youth, internally displaced persons, returnees from Bentiu, Protection of Civilians camp and host community members.  The project aims to create platforms for youth dialogue, rehabilitate and construct key community infrastructure, and foster positive economic and social interdependencies.

UNDP’s Integrated Crisis Response Programme also lays a strong foundation for national reconciliation and sustainable development over the long term by leveraging our technical expertise to conduct needs assessments, conflict-sensitive analyses, community-level consultants, and evaluations to identify emerging entry points for a joined-up approach. Technical assessments are currently ongoing in Jonglei State.

Strengthening inclusive local institutions, access to justice and rule of law: In Yambio, UNDP is providing support to local rule of law, strengthening of human rights and transitional justice mechanisms.  The aim is to monitor and promote and protect citizen's rights while strengthening the community’s voice in transitional justice processes and providing access to legal aid and psychosocial support to Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) survivors.  

This is achieved through support to community policing, providing trauma management and psycho-social support and promoting civic education on transitional justice. Across South Sudan, Justice and Confidence Centers have been established, through which legal services and advice have helped some 70,000 people.

Enhancing access to basic services: UNDP is working with the Global Fund to extend critical health infrastructure support to HIV and TB testing, treatment, counseling, and care, and prevention of mother-to-child transmission. Further, UNDP strengthens service delivery capacity through the deployment of experienced Civil Service Support of officers (CSSOs) from IGAD member countries of Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda in civil service institutions to coach and mentor South Sudanese civil servants in a “twinning” arrangement.