Japan Donates $4.4m To UNICEF For Humanitarian Interventions

This article was last updated on May 26, 2022

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Mr Takeshi Akamatsu, the Japanese Ambassador to South Sudan in a press statement expressed trust in working with UNICEF to help reduce the humanitarian crises in the country resulting from the internal armed conflict that started late last year.

“UNICEF is a trusted partner of the Government of Japan,” Akamatsu said. “We know that the funds we provided will make a crucial difference for conflict affected children and women after the crisis that broke out in mid-December 2013. I am very proud of giving this assistance.”

UNICEF’s new Representative in South Sudan, Mr Jonathan Veitch also thanked Japan for its continuous support to the children and women of the new conflict-torn nation.

“With this generous contribution, we will be able to support our partners in delivering essential supplies and services to South Sudan’s most vulnerable children,” Veitch said.

The humanitarian needs of children in South Sudan remained high throughout during 2013 and their situation further deteriorated with the outbreak of violence in December last year.

The current following an alleged “coup” attempt by anti-government forces has left thousands of people dead, aid facilities have been looted and destroyed, more than 800,000 people mostly children and women have been displaced within the country and over 250,000 refugees from the conflict have sought refuge in neighbouring countries. 

The conflict has exacerbated the already precarious humanitarian situation in the country resulting from the floods, the David Yau Yau rebellion in Jonglei and the bloody inter-communal clashes.

Aid agencies have made a joint appeal of $1.27billion but the response to it has been slow which jeopardizes aid operations to help the 3.2million people affected by the conflict.

With the new funding provided by the Government of Japan, UNICEF intends to provide safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene services.

Other priority areas include prevention of outbreaks of vaccine preventable diseases, providing pregnant mothers and new-borns access to life-saving maternal and neo-natal interventions; managing Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) and support the identification of separated/unaccompanied or missing children among others.