13 August, Juba – The fight against poverty requires a better understanding of what causes poverty, who is poor, and how poverty changes over time. Without this information, designing and implementing effective poverty reduction programmes can be very challenging.

To help address some of the data gaps that exist and measure the scope of poverty in Southern Sudan, the Southern Sudan Centre for Census, Statistics and Evaluation (SSCCSE) produced the report Poverty in Southern Sudan – Estimates from the 2009 National Baseline Household Survey in June 2010. The document provides credible statistics on the incidence of poverty and includes specific information on access to health, education, agriculture and credit markets. The welfare measure for poverty is based on consumption.

At the launch, H.E Dr. Riek Machar, Vice President of Southern Sudan, said: “Decades of conflict deprived our people of many opportunities. This report is an eye-opener and will guide the government in effective policy formulation on poverty eradication. We must make sure that rural areas receive their rightful share of the peace dividends.” Other senior officials, including the SSCCSE Chairman H.E Isaiah Chol, echoed this sentiment, and recognized the importance of the information in helping to design more robust and well targeted programmes to help reduce poverty in Southern Sudan.

The report is based on analysis of the 2009 National Baseline Household Survey – the second major national survey of its kind undertaken during the CPA period – also produced by the SSCCSE with support from the African Development Bank, Statistics Norway, and UNDP. “We trust that the this report will support the debate on how the three levels of the Government in Southern Sudan will bring about human development and sustainable change,” said Joe Feeney, UNDP Southern Sudan’s Head of Office, in a statement.

 

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