By Alan Clement
The United Kingdom has announced a sum of USD 139 million aid assistance for South Sudan.
The bilateral humanitarian, health, and education support for South Sudan was announced amid increasing concerns over the country’s worsening crisis.
The aid assistance from UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) was confirmed by the British Ambassador to South Sudan, David Ashley who said the support would help the country’s most vulnerable populations cope with the impact of conflict, climate crises, and economic instability.
“Given the pressing needs in South Sudan, the UK will provide £103m (USD139m) of bilateral aid this year to help the South Sudanese people face the humanitarian, conflict and climate crises; access healthcare; and get children into school,” said Ambassador Ashley.
The aid package brings the total of UK support in bilateral assistance to South Sudan to over USD2.7 billion since South Sudan gained independence.
He also stressed that the UK provides South Sudan with substantial assistance through multilateral organizations and initiatives such as the World Bank, the Global Partnership for Education, and GAVI.
“This assistance has changed many lives and helped many hundreds of thousands of the most vulnerable South Sudanese access essential services,” Ambassador Ashley emphasized.
While reaffirming the UK’s continued commitment, Ambassador Ashley warned that international aid cannot serve as a long-term solution especially given fast changes in the world and the unprecedented pressure on international aid budgets. He urged the South Sudanese government to take responsibility in addressing the country’s basic needs.
“It is imperative that South Sudan uses its own resources more effectively to support the essential needs of its people. The UK can complement, but cannot replace, the efforts of the South Sudanese authorities,” he emphasized.
The further stressed the need for sustained peace and better governance for aid to support sustained development. He said, “to make aid go further requires peace and better governance, things that we can support but which only the government of South Sudan can ensure.”
This support has come at the time South Sudan government and the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster management continue to Albino Akol Atak continue to call on donors to support.
In 2024 Akol disclosed that since the outbreak of the Sudan crisis in April 2023, over 905,000 people have crossed into South Sudan, with an additional 337,000 people projected to arrive this year.