Participants attend the opening session of the 2nd Annual Forum for Resilience and Recovery in Juba on Wednesday, Dec 4, 2019 | Credit | Charles Wote/Eye Radio

Stability is key and a prerequisite for recovery and resilience in South Sudan, the deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General has said.

According to South Sudan context, resilience is the ability to withstand a wide range of shocks which can increase vulnerability.

These include political upheavals, national and local level conflict, displacement, food insecurity, disease outbreaks, drought, natural disasters and adverse events.

Two years ago, the resilience and recovery program was launched in Yambio and later extended to Aweil, Torit and Wau to respond and intervene across four pillars, namely: rebuilding trust in people and institutions, re-establishing access to basic services, restoring productive capacities as well as nurturing and broadening effective partnerships.

The program aims to promote local ownership and work across humanitarian and development efforts, combining meeting emergency basic needs with building resilience for the future.

Alain Noudehou, the Humanitarian Coordinator and co-chair of the Steering Committee for resilience and recovery believes that, peace and stability is key for successful implementation of the program in South Sudan.

“No recovery effort will be effective if you don’t have sustained stability in the affected communities,” Noudehou said during the opening of the second annual forum for resilience and recovery in Juba on Wednesday.

“Leadership by civic and government actors to ensure an inclusive approach in building resilience is therefore very critical.

“The progress being made in some localities to recover from productive crisis will not be possible without stability the country has enjoyed since the signing of the revitalized peace agreement.”

In the past years, South Sudan entirely depended on humanitarian support.

But the USAID Deputy Director for the Bureau of Food Security, Greg Collins, says resilience and recovery can help growth and development.

“If we really think about the profound nature of concept and the way of making things differently, I think it has a profound role to play as you operationalize this project for recovery and resilience,”   Collins stated.

During the two days forum, participants are expected to share global perspectives and local experiences on the progress and challenges on the implementation of recovery and resilience in South Sudan.

The event is being attended by some citizens and officials from targeted areas, UN Agencies, Donor and diplomatic corps and local and international NGOs.