Kidega Livingstone
African Development Bank Group (AfDB) has announced its plans to increase funding for South Sudan’s development projects by 60 percent.
Vice President Regional Development Integration and Business for African Development Bank Group (ADfB), MS Marie Laure Akin Olugbade disclosed.
“The support that we provide in South Sudan will increase by sixty percent (60), especially in the areas of agriculture, energy, and technical training for women and youth,” she stated.
The funding targets development projects in the areas of agriculture, energy, and technical training.
Yearly, South Sudan gets millions of dollars in grants from the AfDB for agriculture, energy, and infrastructure development.
This year alone, AFDB injected one hundred million dollars (100 million USD) for the development project in the areas of agriculture, energy, and technical training for youth nationwide.
“The one hundred million dollars that will be implemented in an effective manner will focus on agriculture, energy, and technical projects,” Olugbade added.
Olugbade said that agriculture and food security are the major areas, followed by the development of infrastructure and energy.
She told journalists during a press conference at the UNHCR office in Juba, yesterday, that she had the opportunity to meet the First Vice President, and they discussed agriculture, energy, and technical training.
Olugbade, who is on an official visit to South Sudan, had a chance to reach the refugee camp in Maban.
She noted that they are trying to look at how they can strengthen the refugees in terms of humanitarian assistants and training opportunities for all refugees and IDPs.
“We visited Maban. People are willing to welcome the refugee, but the situation there is distressing and traumatizing. We are trying to look at how we can strengthen them,” she said.
Meanwhile, the Assistant High Commissioner for Operation UNHCR, Raouf Mazou said South Sudan is the most affected country, with about 300,000 refugees from neighboring countries and 400,000 South Sudanese returnees to the country.
“How do we move beyond humanitarian assistance to these people? We are going to support them because the government has a plan for these people. We are very encouraged,” said Mazou.
He said the 1.4 Billion dollars UNHCR is talking about come from the support of international communities that target refugees and IDPs in both South Sudan, the DR Congo, Sudan, and the Central African Republic.
“Out of this funding, South Sudan is going to get four hundred million dollars for refugees and IDPs,” he said.