Alaak Andrew speaks at a press conference to mark International Youth Day 2023 organized by the National Ministry of Youth and Sports. August 11, 2023. (Photo: Charles Wote).

A youth advocate is urging the government and development partners to empower young people in combating the effect of climate change by providing jobs in the country.

Alaak Andrew, the Program Manager of Youth Education Initiative called for climate-friendly job opportunities, as South Sudan marks International Youth Day on Saturday, August 12.

Alaak encouraged the youth to take lead in programs that combat the effect of climate change.

He is therefore appealing to the government to create opportunities for young people to enable them to make the environment green and sustainable.

“I will really appreciate it if the government intervene and be supportive of the youth and they should try to create vocational schools for youth skills development,” he said at a joint press conference to mark International Youth Day in Juba on Friday.

“I would also encourage the government to collaborate with the youth on the sector of agriculture, fishing industries, and other opportunities that we can tackle as the youth.”

Celebrated annually on August 12, the International Youth Day discusses the issues of young people and recognizes youth as partners in the global society.

International Youth Day was adopted in 1998 by the first session of the World Conference of Ministers Responsible for Youth, hosted by the Government of Portugal and the United Nations.

The global theme for this year is “Green Skills for Youth: Towards a Sustainable World.”

“As a youth, I still emphasize that we should now take this theme critical and try to make sure that we come up with this idea such as innovation, and entrepreneurship and also be ambassadors of peace and advocate on climate issues such as global warming and the other things.”

For his part, the Secretary of External Affairs of the National Youth Union Beng Khamboor said the government needs to invest in environmental conservation activities.

“We need to make sure that we invest in environmental activities, we need to invest in the capacity of young people so that they can take the matter of the environment into their own hands and make sure that they help this country in moving forward.”

“We did so last year, as a National Youth Union in a partnership with the Ethiopian Embassy did the plantation of almost 1,000 trees, we planted there in Juba.”

“So, it is something we need to continue doing it. If we are going to do it this year, I also still said we need to aim higher and I think our partners, they can help us availing the seeds.”

South Sudan is said to be at the forefront of global climate crisis – with millions suffering from seasonal floods and droughts – a situation increasingly linked to climate change.