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The Republic of South Sudan is a land-locked country in East Africa a little bit smaller than the size of Texas. The country has a population of about 11 million people. It shares borders with Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Sudan. South Sudan has been subject to intense internal conflict since Sudan gained its independence from Egypt in 1956.

The Fund for Peace, which is a D.C.-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, recently ranked South Sudan as the third most fragile state in their annual Fragile States Index. In other words, according to The Fund for Peace, South Sudan is more fragile than most of the countries we keep hearing about in the news including Iraq, Iran, Libya, Syria, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Israel, Saudi Arabia, India, China, and Russia. And, there are a few others ranked highest by The Fund for Peace that are also not talked about in the news and are conveniently positioned near South Sudan, namely Somalia, Central African Republic, Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Chad. So, why aren’t we talking about six of the most fragile countries in the world?

There are a number of easily identifiable global implications of conflict in East Africa. Obviously, any time there is significant conflict in any country in East Africa, it is easy for those conflicts to spill over into other nearby countries. For example, conflict in South Sudan over the past few years has resulted in over a million refugees fleeing to neighboring countries. This contributes to the overall instability of the region. And, as it turns out, East Africa is right next to the Middle East.

In addition to conflict-related migrations, reduction in regional economic activity and increased strains on infrastructure and resources are also global implications of conflicts in East Africa. Two of the top 10 coffee producing countries are in East Africa, namely Ethiopia and Uganda, which of course share borders with some of the most fragile countries in the world. So, it is conceivable that conflict in East Africa could have significant impacts on the world coffee market. Now do you care?

Let’s pretend for a moment that we as a society have some intention of making the world a better place. Let’s pretend for a moment that we as a society want a sustainable future. Let’s pretend for a moment that we as a society have an end game that includes stability and world peace. How can we make South Sudan less fragile?

As a society, we have actually made significant progress in reducing the amount of extreme poverty globally. In 1990, 37% of the world’s population lived in extreme poverty. In 2012, 12.7% of the world’s population lived in extreme poverty (World Bank estimate). And, within the context of South Sudan, the U.S. Government has given over $1.8 billion in support over the past few years after major conflict broke out in Juba, South Sudan in December 2013. This has included support for shelters, economic recovery and market systems, protection, food security, logistics, and infrastructure.

The United States is not the only country to support peace and stability in South Sudan. Funding and support has also come from the European Union, United Kingdom, Canada, and Japan. Other countries see value in this as well. The global community has adopted a strategy of hope. We are collectively deciding that we care about South Sudan and the people of South Sudan. Whether it be for moral, economic, or political reasons, we as a society are getting better at solving problems.

We have provided vital support to South Sudan over the past decade. But, we can’t stop supporting South Sudan now. As we look forward to 2020 and beyond, we should consider what else we can do to help South Sudan and other fragile countries grow. Let’s not just react to conflict, but also prevent future conflict by helping South Sudan with things like access to water and sanitation, agriculture and food security, and education.

There is still a lot more work to do to create a stable South Sudan. Buey Ray Tut’s model for international development, suggests that aid is only the first step of the process that leads to sustainability. It is interesting to note that of all of the USAID funding for South Sudan in FY2015, 27% was for the support of initiatives that develop access to water. As policy makers consider what to do next in South Sudan, they need only remember one thing- without water, nothing can grow.