Changing the lives of disabled people in South Sudan

9 years since I was last here, I'm back in South Sudan, the world's newest nation. Part of the work I am doing here, with our team, is to implement the Charter on Inclusion of People with Disabilities in Humanitarian Action in our emergency response in the country.

May 2017 marked the first anniversary of the Charter. This anniversary was the occasion to increase UK mainstream NGOs support for the Charter and to show how vital it is for organisations and states to endorse it.

Handicap International plays an important role in urging organisations to endorse the Charter. For this first anniversary, with CBM UK , we organised a special event attended by 45 humanitarian actors at Westminster, in partnership with the UK Department for International Development. Five organisations endorsed the Charter during the event.

The Director of DFID's Conflict, Humanitarian and Security Department (CHASE), Beverley Warmington, chaired the event and reiterated the UK Government's commitment to push the rights of disabled people and make sure no one is left behind in areas of armed conflict or disasters.

As a charity uniquely specialised in supporting people with disability living in crises, Handicap International also has to ensure the commitments made are turned into concrete action. This is why we are also helping the endorsing organisations on the ground to implement the Charter. And this is part of what we are doing here, in South Sudan. How the Charter is changing lives
I know that the Charter on Inclusion of People with Disabilities in Humanitarian Action may seem a little bit abstract in the eyes of many living far away from crises. This is why I want to take the opportunity of my mission in South Sudan to share my experience and show why it is so important for organisations to sign the Charter and the vital change it is making in the lives of people with disability living in crises.

South Sudan is a nation affected by conflict and a food crisis. Over 3.7 million people are displaced either inside South Sudan or to neighbouring countries due to conflict, starvation or a combination of the two. 5.5 million people are food insecure. At the same time, the government is working hard to build this nation.

So while Handicap International's teams are responding to the immense needs caused by the conflict and the food crisis, we are also working alongside the government and local civil society to ensure people with disabilities can achieve their rights and have access to sustainable services when peace returns to South Sudan.

"My life was saved by HI"
During my trip, I interviewed Tueng about his experience of living in Juba camp, as a person with disabilities.copied!!!!