A returnee is someone who was displaced from their habitual residence either within South Sudan or abroad, who has since returned to their habitual residence.
According to Round 11 of IOM’s DTM baseline assessment, Wau County had the highest returnee individuals at 171,394 and also the highest household returnees at 40,541 households. This can be attributed to improved security situations influencing voluntary returns.
Kapoeta North County however produced the least Household returnees with 102 households and total individual returnees of 510 people was also the least among the Counties of South Sudan. This is majorly due to the nomadic lifestyle of the indigenous communities who prefer to be constantly on the move and are not necessarily influenced by security trends.
The other areas highlighted by the assessment are in full detail illustrated in the graph above.
CAPTION: Comparison of total returnees Household vs Individual
A comparison of the total number of returnees per State vs the total number of Household returnees per State asserted that Upper Nile State has the Highest number of Individual returnees which was found to be 361,232 individuals including women and children and also the highest number of Household returnees at 6,557 households.
Lakes State on the other hand had the lowest numbers of both individual and household returnees at 61,549 and 11,771 respectively.
Upper Nile State leads in the number of Individual returnees while Lakes State ranks lowest when it comes to individual returns and the same scenario repeats itself when it comes to household returnees.
Western Bahr El Ghazal State leads with the highest number of individual returnees from within South Sudan while Upper Nile State leads with the highest number of individual returnees from Outside South Sudan.
Western Bahr El Ghazal State also leads with the highest number of household returnees from within South Sudan while Upper Nile State leads with the highest number of household returnees from Outside South Sudan.
About the Authors:
Oriba Douglas, a Data Speaks Fellow at #defyhatenow South Sudan, wrote this data story, which was edited by 211 Check Editor Emmanuel Bida Thomas and approved for publication by Steve Topua, a Data Analyst and Trainer. It’s part of the ongoing #defyhatenow South Sudan Data Speaks Fellowship program with funding from the European Union Delegation to South Sudan.
About South Sudan Data Speaks Fellowship:
This is a three months data journalism fellowship for South Sudanese content creators with an aim of educating participants on the fundamentals of data journalism through in-depth training facilitated by experienced data analysts.
The fellows have been selected from across South Sudan and they are trained in data sourcing/mining, data analysis, and data visualisation for three months (October to December)
Each fellow will produce a minimum of three (03) data stories during the fellowship. The focus will be on increasing access to information
https://211check.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/County-Returnees-Flourish.png6351366211 Checkhttps://211check.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/211Check_logo-1-300x120.png211 Check2022-03-04 12:40:002022-04-04 12:43:35Data Story: South Sudan Returnee figures, state and county levels 2021
South Sudan’s Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning has proposed a budget worth 287 billion South Sudanese Pounds for the Fiscal Year 2021/22.
The Finance Minister, Agak Achuil Lual says the government proposes to spend a total of SSP 287.0 billion which represents 12.8% of the country’s GDP estimated at SSP 2.241.0 trillion.
The 2021/2022 budget proposes increased allocation to the social sector (education, health, social and humanitarian affairs). Allocation to the social sector increased to SSP 80.2 billion from SSP 312.2 billion in FY 2020/2021.
Allocation to the education sector is SSP 49.2 billion which indicates an increase of SSP 24.7 billion which represents 100.8 per cent compared to the FY 2020/2021 allocation of SSP 24.5 billion.
Similarly allocation to the health sector of SSP 27.7 billion (of which SSP 9.0 billion is earmarked to combat COVID19 pandemic) the provision of SSP 27.7 billion to the health sector interprets to an increase of 575.6 per cent compared to the SSP 4.1 billion allocations in FY 2020/2021 budget.
The budget allocation to the social and Humanitarian Affairs sector of SSP 3.3 billion has increased by 26.9 per cent compared to the FY 2020/2021 allocation of SSP 2.6 billion.
Of this amount, as stated by Acuil, SSP 169.3 billion or 7.6% will be financed by domestic revenues while SSP 77.4 billion which represent 3.5% will be through credit (i.e. concessional loans) from cooperating partners.
The balance of SSP 40.3 billion, which represents 1.8% will be financed through commercial borrowing.
Revenue Sources for Financing the FY 2021/22 Budget
Source
Amount in SSP
Percentage (out of GDP)
Domestic Revenues
169.3 billion
7.6 %
Credit from cooperating partners (Concessional Loans)
77.4 billion
3.5%
Commercial borrowing
40.3 billion
1.8 %
The budget aims at stimulating economic recovery and reducing inflation from 22.8 in the fiscal year 2020/2021 to 16.3 per cent.
The Finance Ministry further said the FY 2021/2022 Budget is to consolidate peace, combat the COVID-19 pandemic and increase investment in physical infrastructure.
About the Authors:
Okot Emmanuel, a Data Speaks Fellow at #defyhatenow South Sudan, wrote this data story, which was edited by 211 Check Editor Emmanuel Bida Thomas and approved for publication by Steve Topua, Data Analyst and Trainer. It’s part of the ongoing #defyhatenow South Sudan Data Speaks Fellowship program with funding from the European Union Delegation to South Sudan.
About South Sudan Data Speaks Fellowship:
This is a three months data journalism fellowship for South Sudanese content creators with an aim of educating participants on the fundamentals of data journalism through in-depth training facilitated by experienced data analysts.
The fellows have been selected from across South Sudan and they are trained in data sourcing/mining, data analysis, and data visualisation for three months (October to December)
Each fellow will produce a minimum of three (03) data stories during the fellowship. The focus will be on increasing access to information
https://211check.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/FY-2021_22-Budget-Financing.png424796211 Checkhttps://211check.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/211Check_logo-1-300x120.png211 Check2022-02-04 11:42:362022-02-04 11:42:42Data Story: South Sudan’s Fiscal Year 2021/22 Budget
As late as 2019, infant mortality rate in South Sudan remained among some of the highest in Africa.
By Charles Lotara
Ten years before South Sudan attained independence in 2011, the infant mortality rate was already alarming with 44,508 children dying annually before reaching age five. Boys accounted for 23,395 of this tally compared to 21,113 girls. That was as late as 2001.
This mortality ratio was attributed to inadequate midwifery services in the country. According to Global Health Workforce Alliance, a subsidiary of the World Health Organization, the ratio of midwives in the country was 1 per 38,088 populations. This was even so after the referendum.
The above factor was also compounded by the unavailability of a formal system for the supervision and support of nursing and midwifery practice in the country, especially at state level.
Similarly, at national stage, there was no legal and regulatory framework guiding midwifery practice according to a 2011 report from the Ministry of Health titled Special Supplement: Development of Nursing and Midwifery Services in South Sudan, produced in partnership with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
But amid the above challenges, the country had made strides on mitigating infant mortality. Data from the United Nations International Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF) reveals that 35,711 and 35,288 children (boys and girls) below five died in 2011 and 2012 respectively, a sharp drop from ten years earlier.
These improvements were a result of the creation of an ambitious Health Sector Development Plan spanning from 2011 – 2016 with emphasis on Strategic Plan for Human Resources for Health (HRH).
However, the country is witnessing a stunning reversal on the achievements it has made just two years after independence thanks to a protracted civil war which weakened a nascent health system. In 2013, 35,319, an increase of 13 children under five from 2012, died.
In 2015, the World Health Organisation documented that the probability of a child dying by age five was 90.7 percent in every 1000 live births.
As late as 2019, the death toll of children aged five years and below rose to 36,916. This means the country has lost 1,597 children below five years within a seven-year span with male accounting for 852 of the total and females accounting for 588.
This alarming trend is projected to continue if no urgent action is taken according to the World Health Organization.
Mortality Rate By Year
Year
Number of Infant Mortality
2001
44,508
2011
35,711
2012
35,288
2013
35,319
2019
36,916
Efforts made
Three years after the referendum, the national Ministry of Health crafted the National Health Policy, another ambitious initiative that was to run from 2016-2026, to provide the overall vision and strategic direction for development in the health sector and also curbing maternal mortality rate.
Dubbed the NHP, the initiative was to be implemented through two five-year strategic plans: 2016 -2021 and 2021-2026. The policy – the government said at the time – draws its mandate from the Transitional Constitution, Vision 2040, the South Sudan Development Plan (SSDP), and that it was cognizant of the Sustainable Development Goals agenda.
The overall goal of the NHP was to deliver a strengthened national health system and partnerships that overcome barriers to effective delivery of the Basic Package of Health and Nutrition Services and a system that efficiently responds to quality and safety concerns of communities while protecting the people from impoverishment and social risk.
No much change
Six years later, the aforementioned initiatives have done very little to improve the health system and in particular, service delivery at the department of obstetrics and gynaecology, especially at the country’s main referral health facility, Juba Teaching Hospital.
Most health infrastructures remain dilapidated; essential medical and surgical equipment are either outdated or lacking. The management and human resource capacity has weakened.
The World Health Organisation says the Nongovernmental Organisations are still responsible for 80% of the country’s health service delivery, which complicates the coordination of service delivery.
In its Country Cooperation Agenda 2014 – 2019, the first priority of the World Health Organisation was to contribute to the reduction of maternal, newborn and child morbidity and mortality. By the year 2019, the infant mortality rate was the highest since 2011.
The World Health Organisation did very little to provide technical support for the development and implementation of policies, strategies and plans for integrated maternal, newborn, and child health.
Support for the Ministry of Health to improve the accessibility and availability of integrated maternal, newborn, and child health services at all levels of the health system has stalled and the promise to ensure accessibility and availability of emergency obstetric and newborn care within the primary health care and referral system remained unfulfilled according to a report by the Global Health Observatory.
The future looks bleak. Development assistance has remained a major source of revenue for South Sudan, especially following the outbreak of the covid-19 pandemic that sparked a sharp fall in oil prices and shrinking national revenue.
As countries around the world fret over the spread of the omicron variant, possibilities of another lockdown are imminent. This could further affect oil production and national revenue which would otherwise be used to revamp the health sector and curb the runaway infant mortality rate.
To break beyond this uncertainty, the government must utilise funding from the non-oil revenue and development assistance from the donor community and adjust the national budget for the health sector. This could significantly reduce the worrying trend of infant mortality.
Background information
Since the inception of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in 2005, the Ministry of Health, through the Department of Reproductive Health, has been putting in place systems and mechanisms for coordinating the integration, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of Sexual and Reproductive Health services in South Sudan.
Based on data from 2006, five years before the referendum, the country had arguably the highest maternal mortality ratio in the world with 2,057 children per 100,000 live births dying before the age of five.
In 2011 and 2012, health partners, including the World Health Organisation and the United Nations Population Fund, scaled up support to the country’s health sector. This saw a significant reduction in the ratio of infant deaths.
Two years after independence, the government maintained efforts to eradicate infant deaths. It is against this background that in 2013, the Family Planning Policy was launched.
One of the aims of this policy was to provide comprehensive and integrated Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) services in line with the recommendations of the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) held in Egyptian capital Cairo according to the then Minister of Health Dr. Michael Milly Hussein.
The Ministry of Health noted that one in five women of reproductive age (15-49 years) has unmet needs for spacing or limiting childbirth. This, according to the government, has also contributed tremendously to the rise in infant mortality ratio.
In December 2013, civil war broke out. This further affected the already-faltering health system and jeopardised the efforts to eradicate infant mortality rate even after the conflict.
The Family Planning Policy also provided that obstetricians give expectant mothers the necessary guidelines required to ensure safe delivery. However, this has not been implemented. Instead, obstetricians who go for months without salaries have been blamed for negligence.
As late as 2019, infant mortality rate in South Sudan remained among some of the highest in Africa. But the government is confident that the Family Planning Policy crafted eight years ago will promote an integrated approach in studies to provide insights in the development of culturally accepted and appropriate materials to be used for safe motherhood and family planning services.
About the Authors:
Charles Lotara, a Data Speaks Fellow at #defyhatenow South Sudan, wrote this data story, which was edited by 211 Check Editor Emmanuel Bida Thomas and approved for publication by Steve Topua, Data Analyst and Trainer. It’s part of the ongoing #defyhatenow South Sudan Data Speaks Fellowship program with funding from the European Union Delegation to South Sudan.
About South Sudan Data Speaks Fellowship:
This is a two-month and half data journalism fellowship for South Sudanese content creators with an aim of educating participants on the fundamentals of data journalism through in-depth training facilitated by experienced data analysts.
The fellows have been selected from across South Sudan and they are trained in data sourcing/mining, data analysis, and data visualisation for two months and half (October to Mid December)
Each fellow will produce a minimum of three (03) data stories during the fellowship. The focus will be on increasing access to information
https://211check.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Number-of-Infant-Mortality-in-South-Sudan-2001-2020.png575796211 Checkhttps://211check.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/211Check_logo-1-300x120.png211 Check2021-12-08 11:15:452021-12-08 11:15:52Data Story: South Sudan Losing Battle Against Infant Mortality
Because being on social media platforms means you have many competitors, you are expected to create good content for your audience to follow you. In South Sudan, the most influential people and talented artists use Social Media platforms to express their artistic talents and share their opinion with their fans.
However, the challenges of internet access in South Sudan affect content creators’ ability to satisfy their audience in the country. They attract a large audience to their pages and engage in the creation of various content through social media platforms such as Facebook.
From November 2020 to October 2021, 211 Check used the CrowdTangle platform to analyze the 16 Facebook Pages of the most influential South Sudanese Celebrities and their interactions with their fans. The analysis revealed total followers for 11 months, as well as follower growth per page.
The number of followers on a page indicates the audience’s interest in specific pages or people; it also depends on how the post is written (Photo, Video or Live and content created).
The trends of various posts on various platforms in South Sudan are primarily about discussions on influential topics such as promoting national football teams, basketball teams, or music and political news across the country.
About the Authors:
David Uku, a Data Speaks Fellow at #defyhatenow South Sudan, wrote this data story, which was edited by 211 Check Editor Emmanuel Bida Thomas and approved for publication by Steve Topua, Data Analyst and Trainer. It’s part of the ongoing #defyhatenow South Sudan Data Speaks Fellowship program with funding from the European Union Delegation to South Sudan.
About South Sudan Data Speaks Fellowship:
This is a two-month and half data journalism fellowship for South Sudanese content creators with an aim of educating participants on the fundamentals of data journalism through in-depth training facilitated by experienced data analysts.
The fellows have been selected from across South Sudan and they are trained in data sourcing/mining, data analysis, and data visualization for two months and half (October to Mid December)
Each fellow will produce a minimum of three (03) data stories during the fellowship. The focus will be on increasing access to information
https://211check.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/16-Most-Influential-South-Sudan-Celebrities-on-Facebook.png575796211 Checkhttps://211check.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/211Check_logo-1-300x120.png211 Check2021-12-08 09:55:032021-12-08 09:55:10Data Story: 16 Most Influential South Sudanese Celebrities on Facebook
Data collected by 211 Check, according to multiple media reports from November of this year, show that at least 267 individuals were killed in several incidents around South Sudan.
In comparison to October, when 79 persons were slain, November’s figures show an increase of 237.97 percent.
The majority of deaths last month happened in Jonglei State, where about 89 individuals were killed by an unknown illness and over 70 others died largely in intercommunal confrontations.
The following state, Warrap, comes in second with 32 deaths, the most of which were caused by intercommunal violence and road ambushes.
Following that is Western Equatoria State, where 24 people are said to have died last month and Eastern Equatoria State with 18 deaths.
Upper Nile State, Central Equatoria and Unity States each had 14, 12 and 5 deaths respectively.
In Northern Bahr-el-Ghazal State there were two reported deaths and 1 killing in Lakes State.
In any of the three administrative areas of Abyei, Ruweng, or Greater Pibor, there were no documented cases of violence-related deaths as well as in Western Bahr-el-Ghazal.
About the Authors:
Data Speaks Fellows at #defyhatenow South Sudan, wrote this data story, which was edited by 211 Check Editor Emmanuel Bida Thomas and approved for publication by Steve Topua, Data Analyst and Trainer. It’s part of the ongoing #defyhatenow South Sudan Data Speaks Fellowship program with funding from the European Union Delegation to South Sudan.
About South Sudan Data Speaks Fellowship:
This is a two-month and half data journalism fellowship for South Sudanese content creators with an aim of educating participants on the fundamentals of data journalism through in-depth training facilitated by experienced data analysts.
The fellows have been selected from across South Sudan and they are trained in data sourcing/mining, data analysis, and data visualization for two months and half (October to Mid December)
Each fellow will produce a minimum of three (03) data stories during the fellowship. The focus will be on increasing access to information
https://211check.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Reported-Killings-Across-South-Sudan-November-2021-1.png493796211 Checkhttps://211check.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/211Check_logo-1-300x120.png211 Check2021-12-08 08:52:592021-12-08 08:53:05Data Story: Reported Killings in South Sudan, 267 slain last month
This story focuses on the most recent increase in commodity prices in Juba. The data is based on a physical market survey at Konyo Konyo Market.
By Charles Lotara
The market prices of commodities in South Sudan have been unstable since the outbreak of civil war in 2013 when the South Sudanese Pounds started losing value against the United States Dollars.
In August this year, the prices of basic commodities almost doubled after truck drivers declared strike over rampant insecurity along the Nimule – Juba Highway, the only major route that connects South Sudan to the rest of East African countries.
This phenomenon compelled the government to enforce security measures to curb the runaway level of criminality and banditry along the highway.
In mid-August, truckers trickled in after security assurance from the government. This has resulted in market stabilization. The government through the Ministry of Finance injected more forex into the market, this resulted in an improved exchange rate. But prices never went down thanks to lack of confidence from traders in sloppy regulatory policies.
And, the skyrocketing prices are worsening as the festive season approaches. A first hand assessment reveals that some have doubled their initial price tags within the space of two weeks. A continuity in trend of increase could make basic commodities unaffordable to low-income households.
On Wednesday, 01 December 2021, the Reconstituted Transitional National Legislative Assembly summoned eight institutions to explain circumstances surrounding market price hikes. These were the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Ministry of Finance and Planning, Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, and Ministry of Roads and Bridges.
Other institutions summoned by the parliament were the National Revenue Authority, the Central Bank, Chamber of Commerce, and the National Bureau of Standards.
Paul Yoane Bonju, the Chairperson Designate of the Reconstituted Transitional National Assembly blames the government for failure to implement regulations that protect local consumers.
“The prices of commodities in our markets are very, very high these days. Our markets have been dominated by foreigners, and South Sudanese are not in control of their markets,” the Chairperson Designate was quoted by The City Review to have said.
“We are supposed to be a mixed economy rather than a free economy. In a free economy, anybody can come and do anything that he wants, but in a mixed economy, we can control the prices,” added Mr Yoane.
But it is unclear whether the summon of these institutions will drive a positive impact on the market ahead of festivities.
Between late November and the first week of December, a kilogram of lentils was costing SSP 800 up from 600 a few weeks earlier. Our market survey within Juba also reveals that the price of onions has doubled from SSP500 to SSP1000.
By the time of publishing, a liter of cooking was sold at SSP 1000, an increase from SSP 700 two weeks prior. The cost of public transportation also doubled, especially for those staying on the outskirts of Juba. The trend paints a bleak future for the common man.
Leading cause of market price hikes
South Sudan is a landlocked country. The country is one of the biggest importers of commodities. According to the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET), an organization that monitors trends in staple food prices in countries vulnerable to food insecurity, cereal supplies in Juba, Torit, Bor, and Rumbek are mostly sourced from Uganda.
Agriculture production remained poor, especially in states and administrative areas ridden by communal conflict and flooding.
About the Authors:
Charles Lotara, a Data Speaks Fellow at #defyhatenow South Sudan, updated this data story (already in the 211 Check archive), which was edited by 211 Check Editor Emmanuel Bida Thomas and approved for publication by Steve Topua, Data Analyst and Trainer. It’s part of the ongoing #defyhatenow South Sudan Data Speaks Fellowship program with funding from the European Union Delegation to South Sudan.
About South Sudan Data Speaks Fellowship:
This is a two-month and half data journalism fellowship for South Sudanese content creators with an aim of educating participants on the fundamentals of data journalism through in-depth training facilitated by experienced data analysts.
The fellows have been selected from across South Sudan and they are trained in data sourcing/mining, data analysis, and data visualization for two months and half (October to Mid December)
Each fellow will produce a minimum of three (03) data stories during the fellowship. The focus will be on increasing access to information
https://211check.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Market-Commodity-Price-Increase.png575796211 Checkhttps://211check.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/211Check_logo-1-300x120.png211 Check2021-12-03 10:14:062021-12-03 10:14:13Data Story: Commodity Price Hikes in Juba Ahead of Festivities
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