After receiving its independence in 2011, the leaders of South Sudan were presented with an opportunity to collaborate and rebuild a country ravaged by decades of civil war. But after months of continued political tensions and mutual distrust among the historically antagonistic South Sudanese leaders, open conflict erupted in the country in late 2013. The inability to realize meaningful economic progress led to conflict between armed factions loyal to President Salva Kiir and Vice President Riek Machar.
The ongoing civil war has cost the lives of over 300,000 people, displacing more than 3.5 million, and left nearly 6 million at risk of starvation. By the end of 2018, it is estimated that nearly 60 percent of the 12 million South Sudanese population will require international humanitarian assistance. Over-militarization, worsening ethnic tensions between tribes, the targeting of civilians, and violations of children’s rights have become common-place. Humanitarian actors in South Sudan, who have long provided life-saving assistance to civilians, are now being blocked (and in some cases attacked) at a time when they are most needed. All sides of the conflict have employed various tactics to obstruct humanitarian access, to serve their own political, militaristic, and economic agendas.
The U.S. government and international actors, like the United Nations, have applied sanctions to those blocking South Sudan’s access to humanitarian assistance. However, the effectiveness of sanctions and other tools in increasing – or re-establishing – humanitarian access deserves further study. It is therefore important to understand the sanctions regimes and assess their ability to achieve their stated goals. The case of South Sudan should offer broader insights into these important questions.
Please join us at CSIS on July 17 as we seek to understand how the international community can deal with protracted humanitarian crises and address issues surrounding access to aid.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Subscribe to our channel: [ Ссылка ]
CSIS is the world's #1 defense and national security think tank. Visit [ Ссылка ] to find more of our work as we bring bipartisan solutions to the world's greatest challenges.
Check out the rest of our videos here: [ Ссылка ]
Follow CSIS on Twitter: [ Ссылка ]
On Facebook: [ Ссылка ]
And on Instagram: [ Ссылка ]
