A Study of Statelessness in South Sudan - 2017 The study found that the notion of protection by the State is inextricably tied to respondents’ perceptions of nationality, as illustrated by the following quotes: “Having ID documents grants one’s rights, freedom, and protection from the government”.146 “Having nationality is like a weapon, when you don’t have one you are scared of everything”.147 146 147 36 KII with Falata Community Leader in Renk. FGD with male Madi and Acholi in Nimule. 4.2 Mitigating the Risk of Statelessness Given the impact of statelessness on individuals’ access to basic human rights in the South Sudanese context, there is an urgent need to identify and assist individuals at risk of statelessness. Already, a variety of actors are working to reduce the risk of statelessness in South Sudan, with UNHCR at the forefront of these activities. In Aweil, the most successful component of assistance provided by UNHCR to vulnerable communities is reported to have been direct financial support for the cost of