Sudan
Five years after the 2005 peace agreement that ended a devastating civil war, Oxfam is concerned about the latest upsurge of violence in southern Sudan.
Latest: News and blogs from Sudan
On film: Speaking out against violence
2009 saw a major upsurge in violence in southern Sudan, with more
than 2,500 people killed and over a quarter of a million displaced. In December 2009, Oxfam
spoke to communities living in Western and Central Equatoria and Lakes State, who have faced violence and displacement. Report: Rescuing the peace in Southern Sudan
Expulsion from northern Sudan
On 4 March 2009 the Government of Sudan revoked Oxfam GB and 15 other international and Sudanese aid agencies' licenses to operate in northern Sudan.
We have appealed against the government's decision and are deeply concerned about the 600,000 people who relied on our projects in the area. We hope to be able to resume work at some point – but in the meantime we have closed our offices in Khartoum, Red Sea State and Darfur.
Southern Sudan
![Nyalual Deng Joak carrying a stack of Oxfam buckets. [Photo: Jane Beesley]](images/sudan_buckets140.jpg "Nyalual Deng Joak carrying a stack of Oxfam buckets. [Photo: Jane Beesley]")
We continue to work in southern Sudan where our programmes support 150,000 people, helping communities recover from one of the world’s longest and bloodiest conflicts, in one of the poorest regions on earth.
In pictures: rebuilding lives and livelihoods in Lakes State
Learn more
Read more examples of our work in southern Sudan:
Oxfam GB's work in southern Sudan is funded by ECHO (Humanitarian Aid Department of the European Commission), the Basic Services Fund, the Sudan Recovery Fund, Oxfam Ireland and Oxfam Japan
Turning on the tap
A quarter of all villages in southern Sudan lack a source of clean, safe water – many communities are forced to rely on dirty river water. This leaves them particularly vulnerable to diseases such as diarrhoea and cholera, while the time it takes to gather water often means that children end up missing out on school.
How Oxfam is helping
Oxfam is drilling boreholes to provide villagers with steady supplies of clean water. We also run hygiene promotion activities and distribute items such as buckets to help communities collect and store water safely.
On film
Oxfam's Awadio Ogillo describes how a distribution of Oxfam buckets to one community has made a difference in more ways than one.
Other development work
- Helping villages to find new ways of supporting themselves including starting farm, growing food and caring for livestock
- Helping those affected by the violence of civil war rebuild their lives
Rapid response team
In 2009 over 350,000 people were forced flee their homes in the wake of increasingly deadly conflicts linked to tribal clashes, cattle raids, North-South tensions, and attacks by the Lord's Resistance Army.
Oxfam's dedicated Emergency Preparedness and Response team works to support people affected by the increased violence. We also respond to emergencies caused by flooding and outbreaks of water-borne diseases.
On film
Public Health Promoter Joyce Poggo talks to Jane Beesley about Oxfam's emergency work in southern Sudan. (April 2009)
View transcript of Emergency Team video
Oxfam's Emergency Preparedness and Response Team is funded by ECHO (Humanitarian Aid Department of the European Commission).
ECHO funds relief operations for victims of natural disasters and conflicts outside the European Union. Aid is channelled impartially, straight to people in need, regardless of their race, ethnic group, religion, gender, age, nationality, or political affiliation.
