South Sudan > Programme description
1. How long has Medair been in the country?
Improvement of access to health care
Medair first started operating in South Sudan in 1991 and has had a permanent presence since 1995. Until 2005, Medair was part of Operation Lifeline Sudan (OLS), a coalition of 40 different agencies working together to improve living conditions in the region. Medair is now one of more than 130 international NGOs operating in South Sudan. Due to our many years of experience in the country, we are actively involved in humanitarian coordination.
2. What is Medair doing in the country?
Medair’s overall goal within South Sudan is to increase access to health care, WASH, and, in cases of acute crises, emergency relief services. Medair is committed to working in South Sudan until emergency relief and rehabilitation are no longer needed, or until the needs are met by other agencies. In the meantime, Medair seeks to serve the most vulnerable in areas where other agencies are not providing health or WASH.
Medair places a strong emphasis on capacity building in South Sudan. Medair equips members of the local community with new knowledge and skills to facilitate local ownership and long-term sustainability of projects. We support the Ministry of Health as they develop an increasing capacity to deliver health care services on their own. Central to our work is a focus on its relationship with beneficiaries; Medair strives to attain continual beneficiary accountability in our programmes.
3. Where are we working?
Melut and Manyo Counties
These counties are home to Medair’s fixed-site WASH and primary health care activities in Upper Nile state.
Medair is one of the only NGOs providing health assistance in this highly vulnerable area. Melut and Manyo counties are considered underserved according to Ministry of Health (MoH) recommendations.
All 10 States
Medair’s Health and Nutrition and WASH Emergency Response Teams (ERTs), based in Juba, respond to emergencies across all 10 states in South Sudan.
4. How many people are working for Medair in Southern Sudan?
Medair employs approximately 30 internationally recruited staff (IRS), 24 Kenyan recruited staff (KRS), and 210 nationally recruited staff (NRS) in South Sudan.
