As The Good Lie debuts in theaters, South Sudan stands on the brink of the worst man-made famine the world has seen in over a decade. The film tells the story of Sudan's lost boys and girls who fled their homes in search of food, safety, medical care, and their families in refugee camps in neighboring countries. A peace deal signed between the Sudanese government and the southern rebel movement, the Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A), in 2005, paved the way for southern independence in 2011. Three years later, in December of last year, South Sudan returned to civil war as political leaders fought over control of the government and the country's vast natural resource wealth.
South Sudan was already vulnerable to food insecurity after nearly four decades of civil war, given limited infrastructure and lack of basic services. There is only one paved road outside of the capital city Juba and 83 percent of the country is dependent on agriculture.
The current humanitarian crisis is, however, entirely man-made. While the threat of famine has been averted for the time being, the recent conflict has prevented farmers from planting their crops. Without a fresh harvest, the risk of famine will continue to rise. A recent report by Oxfam explains, "Many communities have only survived 2014 by using up their resources - selling their assets, or relying on wild fruits and plants, and, as a last resort, killing their livestock. This will make 2015 much more difficult."
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