A country born out of the horrors of bloodshed, fighting and death, there was hope for a new place of serenity and peace. Guerilla warfare that killed at least one and a half million people was supposed to be resolved by this new country, a new answer. To separate the people at war and create an individual nation was going to be the right answer to end all the violence.

But it hasn’t been working out.

South Sudan, currently the youngest country on the planet, dates its independence to July 9, 2011. The country left Sudan to end the more than 20 years of civil war. After detaching from the British imperial power in 1956, the country was left unstable. As an independent country, Sudan had and continues to have conflicts erupting from the diversity of people and power influences. Differences between the north and the south, Muslims and Christians, the government, the people, and rebels caused for one of the world’s longest civil wars. The predominantly Christian portion of the south split from the Muslim dominating nation of Sudan when the US in hopes that the formation of a separate country could bring peace. But the Sudan civil war was more than just religion and race. It also included agriculture, resources, and autonomy.

Ninety-nine percent of the southern population voted to leave Sudan. South Sudan is one of the most diverse African nations, consisting of 60 different ethnic groups. Land disputes, power struggles, and a developing economy continue to ravage this new nation along with oil and agricultural troubles. A peace agreement that was signed last August is not even close to be fully instituted; ceasefire having no meaning. South Sudan can’t be successful on its own because violence is endemic and famine and hunger are commonplace.

It is a humanitarian mess.

But on our news, we rarely hear about problems abroad. We hear about sudden outbreaks of crimes, but we are never updated on long lasting crises. We are too focused on breaking news that we don’t hear the cries of those in continuous suffering. South Sudan and other developing crisis need our help. South Sudan currently is not receiving the assistance they need. Basic hygiene and clean water are lacking. The UN has currently only funded 39 percent of the originally decreased funding amount.

It’s hard to realize the struggling crises of other countries when at times it feels like ours is about to fall to pieces. But those who were born into a country that came about from violence should not have to live their lives out fighting. We all need to be aware and informed about the events of the world around us. It is so easy to just get caught up in our own country, state, community, and life situations. But there is so much more going on out there. More people need to know about these crises, South Sudan, and occurrences in the world in order for change to be made. To live a more peaceful life, we need to reach a more peaceful world.