Charles Undeland has been appointed as the World Bank Group Country Manager for South Sudan, effective 1 July 2024. This new role aims to consolidate country-level leadership within the institution to collaborate with South Sudan’s public and private sectors in achieving development goals.
Undeland, with extensive experience in international development, expressed his excitement in leading the World Bank Group’s efforts in South Sudan. His focus for the next three years includes fostering resilience to climate change, creating job opportunities in the private sector, improving human capital outcomes, and enhancing governance and macroeconomic stability.
The World Bank Group is actively engaged in supporting South Sudan’s transition out of fragility, with a current portfolio of $1.4 billion across 14 projects in various sectors. Undeland’s appointment follows the completion of Firas Raad’s term as Country Manager, who will now lead the World Bank’s program in Malawi.
This move towards unified country representation signifies a stronger World Bank Group presence, allowing for better coordination and faster response to development challenges. Undeland will serve as the point of contact for accessing a wide range of World Bank Group services to drive impactful development outcomes.