Child Marriage and the Hunger Crisis in South Sudan: A Case Study

South Sudan’s hunger crisis is leaving girls at greater risk of early marriage. This publication seeks to understand the drivers of early marriage and highlight solutions to address it.

Understanding the scale of Child Marriage in South Sudan:

• 52 percent of girls are married before the age of 18
• 28 percent of these girls are pregnant at age of 18
• 25 percent of girls are able to attend secondary school
• 2.4 million children are out-of-school
• 2.1 million girls are impacted by food shortages
• 2.3 million children are at-risk of violence, exploitation, abuse and neglect

"Yet, child marriage is not only a matter of poverty or insecurity. Cultural norms and gender inequality disempower many girls and women." - Dr. Mesfin Loha, Country Director