By Ephraim Modi Duku Sokiri
Government of South Sudan has contributed a sum of $15 million to the World Food Program (WFP) to support humanitarian needs of Sudanese refugees and South Sudanese returnees fleeing Sudan conflict.
The contribution was announced on Wednesday after the National Ministry of Finance and Planning (MoFP) and World Food Program (WFP) signed a multilateral contribution agreement.
South Sudan finance minister Dier Tong Ngor said releasing the money was in fulfillment of a pledge made to WFP, by Vice President for Service Cluster, Hussein Abdelbagi Akol on behalf of the government.
“Last year, when VP Hussein addressed the UN general assembly, he made a contribution on behalf of the government to contribute an amount of ten million dollars to WFP,” he said.
According to the minister, the money was in recognition of the agreed services that world food has been providing to the people in the country.
Tong disclosed that the amount was increased to $15 million after negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
“Out of $114 million that we received from the IMF under the food stock window facility, we allocated fifteen million to World food,” the minister explained.
Tong further promised to hand over the money to WFP immediately to quickly respond into the growing humanitarian situation following the Sudan’s conflict that has caused thousands to flee the country.
He applauded WFP for its amenities and urged the organization to continue strengthening partnership to keep providing the necessary needs to the people.
The World Food Program, Country Director in South Sudan, Mary Hellen McGroarty expressed gratitude towards the support of the government in addressing food security in the country.
“We are grateful to mark our partnership together, and our shared commitment to address food security in South Sudan,” she said.
She said the support from South Sudan government has come at a right time when humanitarian situation is alarming, in the country.
“Today over 45 thousand people have crossed the border and many of them are South Sudanese returnees. WFP is there with other partners providing special needs at least twice to people who are waiting at the transit centers,” she added.
She said South Sudanese fleeing from Sudan are provided some relief package to go with, to integrate among their communities.
Hellen also pointed about the trouble in accessing food in the country especially on rainy seasons which is about to start in the areas where refugees and the returnees are situated.
The support also goes a long way to bolster education sector and in delivering life-saving skills to the youths and ripen some packages on tragedy control.
“It will also give us much needed injection into our school needs program, we all know that children are the future of a country and the only thing we can to keep young people at school is so critical,” she added.
According to the WFP representative, the support also targets youth program in the country, including entrepreneurship skills and other income generating activities.
