The second phase of the “Back to Learning Initiative” has been launched by the UN children agency and the Ministry of Education Science.

The initiative started last year with an aim of ensuring that all children in South Sudan have access to learning opportunities.

In the first phase, the ministry said it targeted 400,000 children but managed to get 350,000 back to school.

Officials say the second phase now targets more than 500,000 children.

The Unicef Education Manager, Tizie Maphalala, says the entire project will cost about $75 million.

“This has been worked out on $175 per child…to be able to provide learning materials, train teachers and train PTAs, to keep that child in school,” Ms Maphalala said during a press briefing at the UN House in Juba this morning.