Humanitarian Community Appeals For $1.3 Billion To Assist 5.1 Million People In South Sudan

By Jok P Mayom

JUBA, 19th January 2016 [Gurtong]- These was revealed during the joint launching for South Sudan humanitarian response plan 2016 to alleviate most life-threatening of estimated 5.1million people across the country.

Mr. Eugene Owusu, the Humanitarian Coordinator for South Sudan said that humanitarian partners are increasing efficiencies and maximizing synergies in order to reach as many people as possible.

“This appeal must be fully funded. It presents the bare minimum required to respond to the most urgent needs, and these needs cannot go unanswered,” Owusu pointed out.

Mr. Owusu said, in 2015, all humanitarian partners operating in the country worked tirelessly to reach people in need, delivering life-saving assistance and protection to more than 1.4 million people across the country by the end of November as well reaching most  deepest remote locations.

“Due to Mid December 2013 crisis, more than an estimated 2.3 million people were forced to flee their homes and also 3.9 million people severely left food insecure in September 2015” he said during the launch.

Othe humanitarian agencies reported that 680,000 children under the age of five years are estimated to be acutely malnourished including more than 230,000 who are severely malnourished and communicable diseases, already endemic country wide have spread at an alarming rate.

“It is the sincere hope of the humanitarian community that 2016 will bring long lasting peace to this young and potentially great nation and replace the desperation and devastation we have seen in 2015 with hope for a brighter future,” Said Owusu.

“But humanitarian needs cannot wait. We are in a race against time to ensure that the most desperate and vulnerable across south Sudan are reached with life-saving protection and assistance before it is too late. We must act now and we need the international community’s support to do so,” Owusu added.

The executive Director of the Relief and Rehabilitation Organization for South Sudan, on behalf of Sudan People’s Liberation Movement said he has been making effort to discuss with the counterpart in Relief and Rehabilitation Commission [RRC] both in Pagak and Nairobi to  support the humanitarian situation in the country especially in the conflict affected areas in the country.

“I found it very encouraging that despite the difficult operating environment, humanitarian partners have remained firm, and this is demonstrated in 2015, as life-saving aid delivered to more than 4.4 million people across South Sudan including some most remote locations,” Mr. Gatwech Peter Kulang said. 

Professor Lokulenge lole Timayo, Chairman of the South Sudan Relief and Rehabilitation Commission expressed government commitment in working together with humanitarian agencies with an objective and mission of saving life.

 “…..my concentrated effort is to work together to achieve the goals. So this document includes various Actors; government department, ministries working together with UN OACHA. The most important thing is how these resources – once secured- will be handled.  If it is going to reach the targets we have identified, it will be able to alleviate the suffering of the people.” Said Timayo.

The event for the launch of the Humanitarian Response Plan 2016 was conducted at Grand Hotel in Juba on Tuesday and was attended by Members of  the diplomatic mission is South Sudan, and United Nation agencies present in the country as well government institutions among others.

The project plan involves a total of 114 humanitarian organizations including international and national Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and United Nation agencies.