On the fifth anniversary of the start of the civil war Oxfam in South Sudan Country Director Ranjan Poudyal said:
"With the peace deal signed in September, there is at last some hope but it will take years for people to rebuild their lives.
“Five years of ruthless civil war has left hundreds of thousands of people dead, four million forced from their homes and over six million people severely hungry. Over half the population is in urgent need of humanitarian assistance, while women and girls continue to be terrorized by pervasive sexual violence.
“The progress made at the peace table must be sustained and built on. The ordinary people who have suffered the worst of the conflict must gain the benefits of peace. The country’s leaders must make clear commitments to invest any recovery in the economy in communities. They must give men and women real influence to shape the South Sudan they want. This includes being transparent about the peace process, encouraging public participation at every step, and promoting an environment where the media can engage freely and critically with its country's challenges."
