Today, the independence of South Sudan is celebrated, amid c

Four years ago today , South Sudan officially became an independent state and thus became the youngest country in the world . It cost him decades of war and suffering. I had the opportunity to go visit him a month ago. It is a country with a territory similar to that of France and an estimated population of more than 11.5 million (without having an official census). A country rich in ethnicities: Dinkas, Nuer and 52 others. A country with oil, gold, mercury, etc., crossed by the White Nile and with the Suud reservoir, one of the largest in the world. A country with millions of cows, more than 30! -the second country with the most cows after India- These riches are at the same time its curse. South Sudan General view of the United Nations protection of civilians center in Juba, where more than 30,000 people live, in May 2015. © Gabriel Pecot / Oxfam Intermón Unprecedented humanitarian crisis The country is mired in a serious humanitarian crisis . Civil war, ethnic conflicts, economic crisis, famine and now recently cholera outbreaks. While I was there the deterioration was noticeable daily. The joy and hope of building a new, free and developed country were cut short just two years after independence.

December 2013, internal conflict broke out. Clashes began in Juba, the capital, between members of the Presidential Guard and the Sudan People's Liberation Army (better known by its acronym SPLA). In the following weeks, violence spread across the Jonglei, Unity and Upper Nile regions. These regions are still occupied by the opposition and are where the Europe Mobile Number List fighting has intensified. I couldn't visit them because they were evacuating humanitarian staff, meaning thousands of people were left without access to desperately needed aid. Since the conflict began, more than 2 million people have been forced to flee their homes to save their lives. The majority, more than 1.5 million, have moved inside the country to safer areas, where the local population welcomes them, or have sought protection in United Nations bases. Additionally, more than half a million South Sudanese have taken refuge in Ethiopia, Sudan, Uganda and Kenya, putting further pressure on limited resources in these countries, which has a destabilizing effect on the entire region.



The war and displacement has also caused an alarming food situation. Nearly 8 million people, two-thirds of the population, suffer from food insecurity and it is estimated that almost 4 million are hungry. I met many families who cannot eat daily, most turn to wild leaves for food, thousands of others depend on monthly rations from the World Food Programme, and the situation continues to worsen. South Sudan Under the watchful eyes of his children, Nyantuc does not faint. He doesn't know where the rest of the family is, or if they are dead or alive. Everyone escaped as best they could. She will continue forward protecting her children. In South Sudan, an estimated 250,000 children are malnourished and more than 13,000 have been recruited as child soldiers. © Pablo Tosco / Oxfam Intermón What impresses most is the strength and energy of its people. Despite their sorrows, they are happy and welcoming. The people of South Sudan have shown incredible courage in facing extreme situations and are now suffering the result of a crisis that is completely out of their control. In 2015, the European Commission allocated €120.5 million to provide humanitarian aid for South Sudan and neighboring countries affected by the crisis.