With the lack of media coverage, many don’t know the situation is taking place, but 1.7 million people have been displaced—the majority of them children.

Aid workers unload packages of soap and ready-to-use therapeutic food that has just arrived via helicopter in the town of Kiech Kon in Upper Nile State. Photo courtesy of UNICEF.

THE CONFLICT

After enduring years of civil war, South Sudan finally gained its independence from Sudan in 2011, becoming the world’s newest country. However, the celebration didn’t last long.

Violence broke out again in December 2013 when a power dispute between the president and his deputy came to a head. According to the BBC, fighting erupted between the government troops and the rebel factions over politics, oil, land disagreements, cattle raiding and ethnic tensions.

HUMANITARIAN CRISIS

The country is in desperate need of international help.

“Children are bearing the brunt of this conflict. We’ve got more than 1.7 million people who are displaced. They have no place to go and they’ve had to flee their homes. 4 million people are facing dangerous levels of food insecurities. Many don’t know where their next meal will come from,” Kent Page, UNICEF’s senior advisor, told The Voluntourist.

“We believe this year there could be 250,000 children who will suffer from severe acute malnutrition. If aid isn’t brought immediately to those children, we’re afraid tens of thousands of them will die in 2014. Everybody is connected to one another and we can all help each other,” he added.

And as if that isn’t awful enough, kids also have to worry about being captured by rebels and turned into child soldiers.

“There are some 9,000 who have been recruited and have been forced to fight and work with armed groups in South Sudan. We’re working to try to have those children demobilized and brought back to their communities. So many children have been separated from their families because of the conflict,” Page stated.

Nyabouk Otouk holds her 2-and-a-half-old son, Juma, outside their makeshift shelter. Photo courtesy of UNICEF.

“A lot of schools have been taken over or attacked by armed groups, so kids don’t have a chance to go to school. Half the kids aren’t in school right now, so UNICEF is doing a lot of emergency school programs. We’ve reached 80,000 kids who are benefitting from emergency education,” he continued.

‘THE GOOD LIE’

It’s not often you’ll hear UNICEF recommending people to see a Hollywood movie to gain insight about a humanitarian crisis, but Warner Bros’ new film “The Good Lie,” about refugees in South Sudan is an exception.

The true story of Lost Boys and Girls comes to the big screen and not only stars Oscar winner Reese Witherspoon, but Ger Duany and Emmanuel Jay, who were children of the Sudanese War and lived this horror.

Reese Witherspoon and Ger Duany in The Good Lie. Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.

UNICEF is eager for more people to learn about the conflict.

“It’s such an inspiring film. I’m really hoping this film will help people get more information about the crisis and raise awareness for the situation in South Sudan. We hope people will go online and research what’s taking place, specifically what’s happening with children,” Page said.

HOW TO HELP

“We want peace to happen for South Sudan, but in the meantime, we want more people to know what’s happening and be inspired to take some action. What we really need are funds to help scale up our child protective, education, immunization and health actions,” Page said.

To donate, please go here: http://www.unicefusa.org

A displaced young woman walks through floodwater and mud from recent heavy rains. Photo courtesy of UNICEF.