By Charles K Mark
South Sudan Humanitarian Fund (SSHF) has allocated $20 million to provide life-saving assistance to 290,000 of the most vulnerable people in the country.
The aid will be distributed in Aweil East (Northern Bahr El Ghazal), Nasir (Upper Nile), Rubkona (Unity), and Pibor (Greater Pibor Administrative Area) – regions facing some of the direst conditions nationwide.
“People in these areas are facing some of the most extreme conditions in the country and need support,” said Ms. Anita Kiki Gbeho the Humanitarian Coordinator for South Sudan.
“This allocation will help address their most urgent food security needs and strengthen the resilience of host communities and people who have returned home fleeing the conflict in Sudan,” she added in a statement.
The timing of the allocation is crucial, as the country enters the lean season from April to July, which is expected to lead to a further deterioration in living conditions and increased malnutrition.
“This is particularly critical from August onwards when the effects of the lean season are expected to manifest in increased malnutrition rates and food insecurity levels,” Ms. Gbeho explained.
The coordinator stressed the importance of community participation to ensure the aid reflects the priorities of those affected and provides both life-saving assistance and support for livelihoods and resilience.
“We are very grateful for continued donor contributions, which mean that we can help people who are facing acute needs,” Ms. Gbeho said.
“We request a further injection of funding to continue saving lives and to support recovery and resilience activities of communities.”
This allocation builds on previous humanitarian efforts, including $16 million released from the Central Emergency Response Fund in September 2023 for famine prevention, and $17 million from the SSHF the same year for famine prevention in Rubkona County.
Despite these interventions, the 2024 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan for South Sudan, which calls for $1.8 billion to assist 6 million people, is less than 20 per cent funded six months into the year, underlining the dire need for additional support.