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| Posted to the web on July 14, 2010 |
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July 13, 2010 (BOR) – Gov. Kuol Manyang Juuk said his government will step up plans to address poverty in Jonglei where half of the population feed on less than a dollar per day.
The Governor was speaking in Bor at a workshop organized by Southern Sudan Center for Census, Statistics and Evaluation (SSCCSE) to disseminate the rate of poverty to State government.
48.3% of Jonglei’s population are considered poor based on consumption person per month , said a study conducted by SSCCSE in 2009 and published this year. A non-poor person consumes 152 Sudanese Pounds (SDG) per month compared to 39 SDG for a person considered poor in Jonglei State, according to consumption per capita method used by SSCCSE during April and May 2009 to determine population’s poverty level.
Consumption per person per month in Southern Sudan is 100 SDG on average. The gap between urban (168 SDG) and rural (88 SDG) spending is wide. Southern Sudanese villagers are the poorest and thus, don’t spare money for transport, personal care, education and recreation.
For Jonglei State where the number of cattle is more than the human populations, the grave poverty level comes as a surprise. But Thiong Akuei, Jonglei Director for SSCCSE says only small fraction of the population benefits from cattle’s milk and meat.
“The youth graze cattle in areas far from village,” he said, adding “The family is not benefiting from these cattle and this is the challenge government should address”.
The Director presented an overview for the National Baseline Household Survey 2009 and methodology used in choosing poverty indicators but the 92 page booklet fall short of recommendations to the governments; something Jonglei participants criticized.
On his part, Gov. Kuol congratulated the SSCCSE and promised to make use of the document “now that we are aware.”
“We are now equipped and I calls upon the State minister for agriculture and economic planning to make use of this document and plan to address poverty,” he said.
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