Emergency Aid in South Sudan
Suffering, displacement and hunger have been constants in South Sudan for years. However, the current situation could hardly be more threatening. According to UN OCHA, approximately 5.5 million people can no longer provide for themselves due to the ongoing violence. The entire region of the Horn of Africa is also suffering from a severe drought. Welthungerhilfe has been active in famine-afflicted Unity State for years and is currently supplying some 350,000 people with food.
Effects of Ongoing Crisis in South Sudan
- More than 3.9 million people have left their homes, two million have been displaced within their own country, and 1.9 million have fled to neighbouring countries. They are seeking refuge in safe areas or refugee camps. However, the conditions there are poor due to a lack of tents, water and hygiene. Most of the refugees depend on food aid supplies.
- Over 5,000 cases of cholera have been recorded since mid-2016, largely in the Nile region.
- According to UN OCHA, USD 1.64 billion are needed to provide for the basic needs of 5.8 million people.
Hope of a peaceful life in South Sudan was shattered by violent unrest in late 2013. Only two years after Sudan achieved independence, armed confrontations between followers of President Kiir and of former Vice-President Machar claimed tens of thousands of lives. Since then, conflict, violence and displacements have been the order of the day.
People are afraid; almost 3 million people have fled their homes, 1.9 million of which are now refugees in their own country. Since new episodes of severe violence began in July 2016, the situation has gotten even more desperate. The conflict parties are not putting down their weapons even for important occasions such as sowing time. The result: Many fields could once again not be cultivated last year. This in a country in which 90% of the population lives from agriculture. The desperately-needed July and August harvests failed. Employment options and other sources of income are poor. Food prices are rising, and the rate of inflation is high. South Sudanese people now spend an average of over 80% of their money on food. For 2017, experts are warning of food insecurity at an unprecedented scale.
- Emergency aid: Welthungerhilfe is providing refugees in camps with emergency shelters, drinking water, hygiene measures and food.
- Agricultural development: Together with the population, Welthungerhilfe is building dykes and planting trees in order to better control the annual flooding, thereby securing the harvest. Smallholders learn which cultivation methods improve their crops, receive seeds and agricultural tools and support for the physical and medical care of their livestock.
- Education: In conjunction with Alliance2015, schools and centres for small children are being built.
Hardship Caused by Violence, People are Suffering
The great hardship in South Sudan was caused by violence. Since the 1950s, locals have experienced an almost uninterrupted sequence of armed conflicts, with more than 2.5 million people losing their lives. The cycle of hunger, violence and suffering can hardly be broken without structural changes. Ordinary people, however, are suffering the most. Over eight million people continue to need outside support. Help them with a donation!
Welthungerhilfe is working with the World Food Programme (WFP), the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH in South Sudan.
(Project number: SSD 1040-16)
