Amidst jubilant celebration, the new Republic of South Sudan entered the international stage in July 2011 albeit as one of the least developed countries in the world. The challenges and opportunities are enormous, and donors, the government, implementing agencies and most importantly the people of South Sudan have a lot at stake – but much more to gain.

Against a backdrop of chronic under-development, the country is acutely vulnerable to recurring conflict and climatic shocks. More than 220,000 people were displaced last year due to conflict and more than 100,000 were affected by floods; and already this year, fighting in the disputed border areas, clashes between the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) and militia groups, disputes over land and cattle, and attacks by the Lord’s Resistance Army, have forced nearly 300,000 people from their homes.

South Sudan is a complex context that challenges normal humanitarian and development paradigms. Such complexity has not always been reflected in the strategies of either donors or implementing agencies. This paper presents ten areas that the Government of South Sudan (GoSS) and donors must prioritize in the first years of the country’s independence so as to ensure the best possible results for the people of South Sudan.

Written by Rebecca Barber on behalf of a coalition of 38 organizations providing humanitarian, development, and peace-building programs in South Sudan including Oxfam International