Inclusive Recovery in Aweil East and South: A Social Baseline for Equity and Resilience

This study presents a comprehensive social baseline assessment of Aweil East and Aweil South counties in Northern Bahr el Ghazal, South Sudan regions acutely affected by recurrent flooding, displacement, and service deprivation. Using a mixed-methods approach, the research synthesizes data from 241 household surveys, focus group discussions, and key informant interviews to illuminate the socio-economic vulnerabilities, gender dynamics, and service access gaps across diverse population groups. Findings reveal that 77.2% of households are female-headed, 86.7% include women of reproductive age, and nearly one-third host individuals with disabilities underscoring the need for gender-responsive and disability-inclusive recovery planning. Despite some presence of safe spaces, 95.9% of households lack access to health, psychosocial, or legal services, and 79.7% report no formal platform for community voice. These insights offer an evidence base for aligning local needs with national disaster risk reduction strategies and global frameworks such as the Sendai Framework and Sustainable Development Goals. The study advocates for inclusive governance, targeted service delivery, and community-driven resilience planning in post-disaster contexts.