Genocide around the world is alive and well and continues to occur; it is estimated that since 1900, more than 170 million lives have been lost. If we were to think about it in terms of size, it would be the equivalent of the entire population of Nigeria, gone, wiped out. After the holocaust of World War II, additional measures were taken to ensure that history did not repeat itself. The Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide was adopted in 1948 and carried out by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). She concluded that “genocide is a crime under international law, contrary to the spirit and objectives of the United Nations. (UN) and condemned by the civilian world” (Schabas, nd). The Genocide Convention was the first human rights treaty adopted by the UNGA which defines genocide as "a crime of intentional destruction of a national, ethical, racial or religious group, in whole or in part » (Schabas, nd). We have taken action and even fought wars over it, but why does it continue to happen and why is it still present in our world today? In South Sudan, an ongoing political conflict between the current president, Salva Kiir, and the former vice president, Riek Macha, has left the country divided and almost in a state of civil war. This led to massacres and violence, which forced people to flee and left others starving. Everyone watches this once-promising new country implode, but very little is done to prevent it. Just three years old, South Sudan, Africa's youngest country, is already facing unrest due to ethnic and political divisions; if aid and relief efforts do not increase, this country could face genocide. South Sudan has a population of almost 10 million people and 14 di...... middle of paper ......24/politics/south-sudan-explanation/Gordon, MR (May 2, 2014 ). South Sudan will talk with rebels, Kerry says. Retrieved May 24, 2014 from the New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/03/world/africa/kerry-in-south-sudan-to-seek-an-end-to-combat. htmlJacobs, J. (March 13, 2012). South Sudan and the American National Interest. Retrieved May 24, 2014 from Think Africa Press: http://thinkafricapress.com/south-sudan/oil-us-south-sudan-secessionLustig, R. (May 17, 2014). Crisis in South Sudan: famine and genocide threaten to engulf the country. Retrieved May 24, 2014 from The Guardian: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/may/18/south-sudan-crisis-famine-genocide Schabas, WA (nd). Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. Retrieved May 24, 2014 from the Audiovisual Library of International Law: http://untreaty.un.org/cod/avl/ha/cppcg/cppcg.html