Advocates for persons with disabilities in South Sudan have intensified calls for dedicated budgetary support, arguing that inclusion is a matter of rights rather than goodwill.
During deliberations on the 2025/26 national budget, Augustino Wudu Elario, Chairperson of the Union of Persons with Disabilities, highlighted the absence of a clearly defined financial “envelope” for disability programs. He reminded lawmakers that South Sudan ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, a legally binding treaty requiring states to promote and protect the rights of persons with disabilities.
Wudu emphasized that despite this commitment, many individuals with disabilities remain marginalized, with limited access to education, employment, and social services. He called for targeted funding to provide assistive devices and to support entrepreneurship initiatives.
Government officials acknowledged the concerns but maintained that resources are allocated through sectoral ministries. They indicated that ministries responsible for social services and related sectors manage programs affecting persons with disabilities.
The debate comes as South Sudan reviews public spending priorities amid economic challenges and reliance on oil revenues.
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