Violence has been a part of life in Sudan since its independence in 1956. Two wars between north and south, the current conflict in Darfur, and skirmishes in other parts of the country have resulted in complex emergencies from which the nation has yet to emerge. In southern Sudan, 90 percent of the population lives in poverty. While the numbers for the remainder of the country are not nearly as dire, they are alarming nonetheless. Fifty percent of people in the north live below the poverty line. While people in Sudan are starting to benefit from the peace achieved by  the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in 2005, the situation across the south, in Darfur, and in eastern Sudan, and even in the areas surrounding Khartoum remains desperate for many.

Fifty InterAction members are working across the country to provide direly needed humanitarian relief and development programs. Click here to read more about the work of InterAction NGO members in Sudan.

Click here to learn more about the U.S. Department of State's Special Envoy to Sudan, as well as a fact sheet on U.S. support to peace and security in South Sudan.

Read a blog written by U.S. Special Envoy to Sudan, Princeton Lyman, on his experiences in South Sudan on CNN.com titled, South Sudan: Lessons learned at the negotiating table.

To learn more about the work of the UN in Sudan, check out the websites for the UN Mission in Sudan and the UN's Sudan Information Gateway.

See below for more information and analysis of the referendum in Sudan and its impact on one of the poorest countries in the world.