Humanitarian Community Appeals For $1.3 Billion To Assist Over 5 Million People In Need

By

Peter Louis

The South Sudan Humanitarian Response Plan for 2016, which was officially launched yesterday in Juba, requested US$1.3 billion to respond to the most life-threatening needs of 5.1 million of people across South Sudan.

A total of 114 humanitarian organizations, including international and national NGOs and UN agencies have projects in the plan.

Speaking at the launch, the Humanitarian Coordinator for South Sudan, Eugene Owusu, 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,” highlighted Mr. Owusu. “The challenge we face is unprecedented but we must not give up.”

In 2015, humanitarian partners worked tirelessly to reach people in need, delivering life-saving assistance and protection to more than 4.4 million people across South Sudan by the end of November, including in some of the most remote locations.

More than 2.3 million people – one in every five people in South Sudan – have been forced to flee their homes since the conflict began and 3.9 million people were severely food insecure in September 2015.

More than 680,000 children under age 5 are estimated to be acutely malnourished, including more than 230,000 who are severely malnourished, and communicable diseases, already endemic across South Sudan, 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 Mr. 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.”

Peter Louis

Peter Louis works as a freelance Videographer and Journalist in the Republic of South Sudan. He previously worked for Ebony TV, South Sudan Radio and South Sudan TV, Wau.