The humanitarian community has released US$20 million to provide life-saving assistance to some 290,000 of the most vulnerable people in four locations in South Sudan.
Announcing the release from the South Sudan Humanitarian Fund earlier this week, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said the funds will help the vulnerable people in Aweil East in Northern Bahr el Ghazal, Nasir in Upper Nile, Rubkona in Unity, and Pibor in the Greater Pibor Administrative Area.
Humanitarian Coordinator Anita Kiki Gbeho said some 700,000 people had crossed into the country since April 2023, when conflict erupted in Sudan
She said the humanitarian community was working to support the most urgent needs of hundreds of thousands of people, including those fleeing the conflict in Sudan and the host communities.
The allocation is the first of the year, and comes at a critical time to prevent the hunger in South Sudan from worsening. The country’s current lean season is expected to increase the levels of food insecurity and malnutrition.
Gbeho said that despite generous contributions from donors, additional funding was needed. Five months into the year, the 2024 Humanitarian Response Plan for South Sudan is less than 20 per cent funded, with US$327 received of the US$1.8 billion required.
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