File: President Salva Kiir | Credit | Presidential Press Unit

President Salva Kiir has called for all South Sudanese to unite for the country to solve its enormous challenges.

Kiir made the call in a written Christmas message shared by the Office of the President last evening.

South Sudan is emerging from a prolonged civil conflict that has displaced about 40 percent of the population internally and into neighboring countries.

This year, floods and desert locusts have further worsened living conditions for millions of South Sudanese.

Inter-communal violence in some states has also killed hundreds.

Last week, the government and three UN agencies said up to 6.5 million South Sudanese faced severe acute food insecurity in the last two months.

The number is expected to increase to 7.24 million between April and July 2021.

According to the International Monetary Fund, the country has massive development needs, from building basic infrastructure to developing education and health services, to building institutions.

These challenges, the IMF says, are difficult to solve for a country that has very limited access to affordable financing.

President Salva Kiir's Christmas message @StateHouse_J1 #ChristmasWishes #SouthSudan pic.twitter.com/yvJZlZSRGf

— Eye Radio (@EyeRadioJuba) December 25, 2020

However, in his Christmas message, President Kiir encouraged South Sudanese to remember the challenges the country has faced this year and urged them to pray for unity.

President Kiir also urged all South Sudanese to pray for God’s guidance and blessings as the country strives to resolve conflict in the country.

He further reminded the country of threats posed by the Covid-19 pandemic that continues to destabilize the globe.