In South Sudan, the path to peace and sustainable development is being shaped by women and young people.They are rebuilding businesses after displacement, mediating community disputes, returning to classrooms after years away, and creating new livelihoods through technical skills and entrepreneurship. In villages, towns and cities across the country, women and youth are turning resilience into action and action into lasting change.The United Nations in South Sudan, working with the Government of South Sudan, civil society and development partners, is supporting this transformation through the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF). Under Strategic Priority 4, women and youth empowerment is recognized not as a stand-alone goal, but as a cross-cutting investment in peace, economic recovery, social development and inclusive governance. The premise is straightforward: when women and young people can learn, lead and earn, they strengthen families, revitalize communities and accelerate progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals.From Survival to Self-RelianceFor many South Sudanese women, empowerment begins with the chance to rebuild after crisis. When conflict in Sudan forced Suher Ahmed to flee to Renk, she arrived carrying the weight of profound loss. Her home was gone, her poultry business had collapsed, and the future she had carefully built seemed to disappear overnight.“The war took everything from me,” she recalls. “My home, my business, my peace.”Weeks of uncertainty left her struggling with grief and trauma. Then, in July 2025, she joined the Protective Hands Association, a women’s support group established through a project implemented by UN Women in partnership with Humanitarian Aid for South Sudan and funded by the Government of Japan.There, Suher found more than financial support. She found solidarity.“But this group received me with open hearts,” she says. “They became my emotional support.”Through Village Savings and Loan Association activities and peer counselling, she regained her confidence and began rebuilding her life.“I feel like myself again,” she says. “This group lifted me when I had fallen.”Suher’s journey illustrates a broader truth: empowerment starts when people are given the support and opportunity to move from survival to self-reliance.Turning Opportunity into Economic IndependenceThat same principle is transforming lives in Wau.Veronica Angeth Aciek, a 58-year-old widow living with a disability, spent years trying to support her three children through a small bed sheet business. Income was uncertain, and paying school fees was often a struggle.Her circumstances changed when she joined the Piontok Village Savings and Loan Association through the South Sudan Women’s Economic Empowerment Project, funded by the World Bank and implemented by UN Women in partnership with CARE International.“I borrowed money from the group, and this is what I used to educate my children,” Veronica says. “I even bought land.”The savings group provided credit, business support and a network of women working toward shared goals.Across South Sudan, similar initiatives are helping women and youth establish businesses, increase household incomes and build resilience to economic shocks. In agriculture, FAO is equipping women and young people with seeds, tools and climate-smart farming techniques, enabling them to move from subsistence production to agribusiness and stronger food security. “When we came back from Khartoum, everything was difficult, and we didn’t know where to start. But with the support from FAO and its partners, we are now able to grow food for our children, rebuild our lives, and plan for the future. We hope to expand our farms, help others in need and save seeds for the next season,” Angelina Nyawetde, a single mother of four and a former refugee who returned from Khartoum.Economic empowerment is not only about earning an income. It is about restoring dignity, expanding choices and creating a foundation for long-term stability. Learning as a Pathway to LeadershipEducation is another powerful driver of transformation.In a classroom in Juba, women from South Sudan’s security sector are revisiting lessons many never had the opportunity to complete.“There is only one city named Juba, so it takes a capital letter—isn’t it?” a teacher asks.“Yes, teacher!” the class responds.The women are participating in literacy, numeracy and digital skills courses delivered through a joint initiative led by UNESCO, UNDP and UN Women, with technical support from UNMISS and funding from the UN Peacebuilding Fund.More than 800 women in uniform are gaining the skills and confidence needed to perform their duties effectively and compete for leadership positions.“After educating our children, now it is our turn to learn,” says Lieutenant Colonel Eliza Adut. “We want to fight for our rights.”For many participants, the lessons also mean being able to read their children’s schoolbooks, manage personal finances and better document cases of sexual and gender-based violence. By investing in lifelong learning, the program is helping women claim their place as leaders in peacebuilding and security sector reform. Equipping Youth to Build Their Own FuturesSouth Sudan’s greatest asset is its young population, and their aspirations are reshaping the country.In Wau, childhood friends Musa and Oliver once earned a living as boda boda drivers. Today, they operate their own welding business after completing a technical and vocational education and training program supported by UNESCO and funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency.“After the training, we topped up the grant we received by selling our bikes,” Musa explains. “That allowed us to set up our own business.”Oliver adds, “It is much more secure, and we want to keep growing.”Nearby, Ibrahim uses his mechanics skills to run an auto repair workshop while mentoring other young people.“For me, the best part is that I now have an income for my family,” he says.UNESCO and its partners have supported skills training for more than 5,000 young women and men nationwide, connecting education to employment and entrepreneurship. In addition, UNDP has trained over 30,000 people in vocational skills, with nearly 24,000 now earning an income. Support for micro and small businesses also created over 4,400 jobs, mainly for women and youth. Through the UNDP Student Ambassador Program, youth are also championing the SDGs and strengthening civic engagement in their communities. The UNDP Student Ambassador Program is a global youth empowerment initiative that connects university students with UNDP offices worldwide. It gives young people a platform to learn, grow, and lead through practical engagement with development issues.Women and Youth Strengthening Peace and GovernanceEconomic opportunity and education are most powerful when paired with a voice in decision-making.In 2025, more than 400 women participated in the National Women’s Conference, representing the views of over 700 women consulted across the country. The conference led to the establishment of the South Sudan Women’s Union, a non-partisan platform with representation in all states.Six women-led coalitions engaged in the constitution-making process in Juba, Wau, Yambio, Torit, Bor and Yei, ensuring that women’s priorities informed national discussions on governance and rights.At the same time, 21 women mediators facilitated dialogue among parties to the peace agreement, reaffirming dialogue as the preferred means of resolving disputes. Young people are also being prepared to lead. Through innovation hubs, civic engagement programs and community initiatives, they are contributing ideas and energy to peacebuilding and national development. These efforts are reinforcing a more inclusive model of governance in which women and youth are active architects of South Sudan’s future.Protecting Rights and Transforming Social NormsEmpowerment cannot flourish without safety and dignity.In 2025, more than 124,000 people accessed UN-supported gender-based violence prevention and response services, including over 66,000 survivors who received case management and psychosocial support. Community dialogues involving 153 influential leaders helped challenge harmful norms and reduce acceptance of violence against women and girls.In schools such as Juba Diocese Secondary School, UNESCO’s Our Rights, Our Lives, Our Future Program is creating safe spaces where students can discuss health, relationships and mutual respect.“It’s a safe space where we can talk freely about issues that are important to us,” says Salma, a fourth-year student.Together, these initiatives are helping build communities where women and young people can participate fully and confidently.Building Institutions That Sustain ProgressFor empowerment to endure, it must be supported by strong institutions. In Juba, a new headquarters for the Ministry of Gender, Child and Social Welfare is being constructed with support from UNOPS and funding from the World Bank, strengthening the Ministry’s capacity to coordinate gender equality programs nationwide. Women’s Economic Empowerment Centers in Wau and Torit, supported by FAO, are expanding access to entrepreneurship training, agricultural services and business support.These investments are laying the institutional foundation needed to scale up and sustain progress across the country. “I want to become one of the greatest businesswomen in Agok, so that I can help my community shift from small scale business” Rebecca Adhel, 34 from Wau, a Head of a multigenerational household of sixteen. For years, she relied on sorghum production to meet her family’s basic needs. Four years ago, Rebecca joined a women’s economic empowerment group established by FAO, through which the organization’s experts provided training to women farmers with entrepreneurship ambitions.A Future Led by Women and YouthFrom Suher rebuilding her life after displacement to Musa and Oliver turning welding skills into a thriving business, one message runs through every story: when women and young people are empowered, they transform their own lives and the future of their country.They are restoring livelihoods, promoting peace, challenging discrimination and opening opportunities for others. They are advancing the Sustainable Development Goals and helping build a South Sudan that is more peaceful, inclusive and prosperous.As Suher Ahmed reflects on her journey, her words resonate far beyond her own experience:“This group lifted me when I had fallen.”In many ways, that is what empowerment does. It helps individuals rise and in doing so, lifts entire communities and nations with them.   

When Suher Ahmed arrived in South Sudan, she carried more memories of loss than possessions. Forced to flee Khartoum at the height of the war, she left behind everything she had worked for, her home, her stability, and her small chicken-rearing business that had once sustained her livelihood and pride. She arrived in Renk with very little, weighed down by uncertainty and deep emotional trauma.“I was completely broken,” Suher recalls vividly. “The war took everything from me,my home, my business, my peace.”Suher’s story reflects the situation of many women displaced by the Sudan conflict. Like others, she lost not only her material assets but also her sense of security and independence. The sudden disruption of her life left her struggling to cope with loss, rebuild her identity, and find connection in an unfamiliar environment.Her turning point came in July 2025, when she joined the Protective Hands Association in Renk under the “Enhancing Resilience of Women and Girls in Transit and IDP Sites within Upper Nile State” project, implemented by UN Women in partnership with Humanitarian Aid for South Sudan (HASS) and funded by the Government of Japan. The project aims to strengthen the resilience and recovery of women and girls affected by the Sudan conflict by supporting internally displaced persons (IDPs), returnees, refugees, and host communities through an integrated approach that combines humanitarian assistance with longer-term recovery support.Within this initiative, the Protective Hands Association provided Suher with more than a place to gather, it offered a safe and supportive community of women who shared similar experiences of displacement and loss.“But this group received me with open hearts. They have become my emotional support,” she says.Through participation in the VSLA group activities and peer support, Suher began to regain her confidence and sense of self. Encouraged by other women, she slowly started to rebuild her life, finding strength in collective resilience and shared healing.“I feel comfortable now. I feel like myself again,” she shares. “I am starting to stand on my feet, and I am contributing back to the group. The women encouraged me when I had nothing.”Today, Suher’s journey highlights the impact of community-based support in restoring dignity, hope, and resilience. Her story demonstrates that recovery is not only about restoring livelihoods but also about rebuilding confidence, connection, and a sense of belonging.As Suher puts it:
“This group lifted me when I had fallen.”  

South Sudan’s sustained cholera outbreak response has reduced new cases and prevented around 94 000 deaths since the confirmation of the outbreak more than two years ago in September 2024.  Working with government departments, World Health Organization (WHO) and partners, the Ministry of Health in South Sudan activated a multisectoral response within 24 hours of outbreak confirmation. The result of which is a drop in the number of new cholera cases from an average of 1000 at the peak of the outbreak in December 2024 to 114 in the last week of September 2025. The number of affected counties has dropped from 55 to 12 in the same reporting period and the outbreak is now restricted to 29 out of 517 payams (administrative divisions).  At the outset, the Public Health Emergency Operations Centre reactivated national rapid response teams. These seven-member teams were deployed to counties to conduct investigations, assess county capacity to manage the outbreak and recommend additional capacity to be filled with surge deployments.

Rapid responders conducted one-week deployments to 45 of the 55 cholera affected counties. In 25 counties that needed additional support, teams were deployed for an average of four weeks. Key response areas include treatment, laboratory, infection prevention control, improving water sanitation and hygiene, as well as risk communications and community engagement.  The country stepped up disease surveillance in cholera-affected areas, including training of all state and county surveillance officers on use of cholera rapid diagnostic tests and provision of thereof. These tests were used for at least 5‒10 acute watery diarrhea cases detected in the early days of each week. Disease surveillance also includes active search for cases and deaths through additional outreach workers in high-risk communities, for example, among refugee and internally displaced populations.  Treatment has been strengthened through rapid expansion of treatment sites, community training, prepositioned supplies and improved clinical care for severe dehydration—reflected in modest but important reductions in facility-based deaths. In total, health authorities established19 cholera treatment centers and 88 cholera treatment units across the country, expanding access to points of care for mild to severe cases. In addition, previously nonfunctional units, for example, at Nasir County Hospital, were reopened to restore local inpatient capacity.The Ministry of Health and county health departments, with WHO technical support, trained boma (community) health workers to manage mild cases in remote and hard-to-reach areas and established 102 oral rehydration points across the country, improving early rehydration and referral.Oral cholera vaccination campaigns have been completed in 46 of 48 targeted counties with a total of 8.6 million vaccines administered (87% coverage of the targeted population). Mop-up campaigns have also been conducted in 11 counties, reaching 234 000 people (98% coverage of the targeted population who may have missed a vaccine in the initial campaign). South Sudan is currently conducting a post-campaign coverage survey to document reasons for missed vaccination to improve future campaigns.Throughout the outbreak, WHO has supported the Ministry of Health by strengthening and standardizing surveillance practices, laboratory testing protocols and case management guidelines, planning and implementation of the oral cholera vaccination campaigns and multimedia risk communication and community engagement.
 
WHO has also provided critical input into the establishment and operations of cholera treatment centers and helped coordinate response operations through the Public Health Emergency Operations Centre. The Organization also distributed around 80 metric tons of emergency health supplies, which increased the country’s capacity to treat up to 88 000 severe and mild cases. 
Dr Kennedy Ganiko, former Undersecretary at the Ministry of Health, notes the scale of the collective effort. “Oral cholera vaccination in 46 counties, improved treatment and testing algorithms, strengthened infection prevention and control, water, sanitation and hygiene and expanded surveillance have helped protect communities and save lives,” he says, calling for sustained commitment until transmission is interrupted.This is largest and longest cholera outbreak since independence in 2011. The outbreak began in Renk, a border town receiving large numbers of returnees and refugees fleeing conflict in neighboring Sudan, where cholera transmission was already ongoing. Population movements contributed to the rapid spread of the disease.At the height of transmission, between September 2024 and January 2025, the country reported more than 27 000 cases and 472 deaths across 40 counties. To date, nearly 70 000 additional suspected cases and more than 1100 deaths have been recorded. High-density areas hosting displaced populations have been particularly affected and the scale and duration of the outbreak exerted further pressure on an already fragile health system.“South Sudan’s experience highlights the importance of sustained investment in preparedness, early detection and rapid response to infectious disease threats,” says Dr Humphrey Karamagi, WHO Representative in South Sudan. “Continued support to recovery and resilience are the only tools to strengthen health systems for effective detection timely response in future cholera outbreaks and reducing their impact.”
  

In Makal boma, Malakal County, 43-year-old farmer Adwok Jud starts his day at first light. Before the sun rises high over the Nile, he is already in his field, checking for weeds, tilling the soil with his hoe, and watering neat rows of onions, tomatoes, kudra, and sweet potatoes. By mid-morning, he returns home to his family, while a guard watches over the farm at night to protect the crops from theft and damage.For Adwok, farming is more than a livelihood – it is a pathway back to stability.Before the 2013 crisis in South Sudan, Adwok was a successful trader in Malakal city. He owned three boats, kept cattle, and sold timber. When violence erupted, he fled north to Sudan, losing the business he had built over many years.Upon returning to South Sudan, he reopened a small shop and, with training support from humanitarian partners, began farming. However, last year, devastating floods submerged his fields, destroying his harvest. He was forced to borrow money and sell his assets to survive.“I lost almost everything again,” he recalls.Through the Building Resilient Livelihoods to Climate Change (BRLC) project, funded by the Government of the Kingdom of Norway, FAO is supporting 1 000 vulnerable households in Malakal to produce cereals, legumes, and vegetables.The project helps communities use flood and runoff waters as a climate adaptation strategy, enabling year-round food production for both household consumption and local markets. Farmer groups are supported to grow vegetables through irrigation, while production is linked to fresh food voucher assistance for households affected by malnutrition.With training delivered by FAO and its implementing partner Golden Village, Adwok learned good agricultural practices, including row planting, timely planting, proper irrigation in the mornings and evenings, and crop rotation. For example, he now grows tomatoes followed by onions on the same plot to maintain soil health.“These practices have changed everything,” he says.This season, Adwok’s onions and tomatoes are thriving. He expects to harvest around 13 sacks of onions, each weighing roughly 120 kg.He estimates that his net income from the harvest will exceed SSP 7 million (USD 1 532) – an 80 percent increase compared to last year.With the improved income, Adwok expects to be able to feed his family more adequately, buying sorghum, meat, eggs, milk and sugar. He also hopes to pay school fees and purchase clothes for his children. Married with 16 children – six sons and ten daughters – this added stability could make a profound difference.“I am very happy,” he says with a smile. “Now I can take care of my family.”A former trader at heart, Adwok hopes that within three to five years, he will be able to rebuild his pre-crisis business. Farming, he says, is now the foundation that will allow him to save and invest again.He remains deeply grateful for the support received.“I will not forget FAO’s support,” he says. “I will always remember how great it was.”For farmers like Adwoc, restoring the ability to produce food and earn an income is not only about recovery – it is about rebuilding dignity, stability and hope for the future. Through initiatives such as the BRLC project, communities in Malakal are gradually turning vulnerability into opportunity, strengthening their resilience to climate shocks while creating new pathways for food security and livelihoods. At the same time, the work of Adwoc and other farmers is helping to ensure a steady and affordable supply of fresh foods for families across Malakal.