The Chairperson of the Union of Persons with Disabilities in South Sudan, Augustino Wudu Elario, has appealed to the national government for a clearly allocated budget to support members, warning that continued neglect will deepen poverty and inequality across the country.
Speaking during the recently concluded public hearing of the 2025/6 budget at the Transitional National Legislative Assembly, Wudu questioned whether any specific financial “envelopes” have been set aside for disability programs, despite the country’s legal commitments under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
“My question is about persons with disabilities. Of course, persons with disabilities have been most vulnerable; the majority are living in extreme poverty. And the natural resources that are translated into the budget are for all citizens, including persons with disabilities,” he said. “South Sudan officially ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), a legally binding international treaty, on 24 February 2023, making it a party to the treaty, which obligates governments to promote, protect, and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights by persons with disabilities.”
“However, since then, most people with disabilities have been echoing their voices for more support, especially from the government,” Wudu added.
He further reminded the government of the need to have a clear envelope to facilitate the activities of the union.
Wudu’s call comes at a time when South Sudan is debating the allocation of public resources, mainly derived from oil and non-oil revenues. He, however, warned that persons with disabilities will continue to face barriers to education, employment, mobility, and social participation if not budgeted for.
He stressed that the issue is not charity, but rights and legal responsibility. Citing provisions of the convention, he called for targeted economic empowerment programs and entrepreneurship support for persons with disabilities.
“The government has the right to empower persons with disabilities economically, and this is in Article 20, 2027 of the convention. The government should allocate some money for persons with disabilities so that they can also practice entrepreneurship,” he stated. “We need some resources for the devices, like press cycles, working sticks, and white kids, and other devices to support the hearing center. We also need to support the hearing center.”
Wudu urged the government to ensure a dedicated and meaningful budget share for disability programs, warning that disability is not an isolated issue but a societal reality that can affect anyone.
Responding to the issue, Benjamin Aliya Koyongwa, Undersecretary of Planning in the Ministry of Finance and Planning, said they have no specific allocations to persons with disabilities, but allocated resources to ministries that deal with various groups, including persons with disabilities.
Aliya added that institutions that deal directly with groups like persons with disabilities will have a better explanation of what activities they have for them, and urged the union to follow up with them.