European Commission, Press release, Brussels, 12 April 2014:
Due to the rapidly deteriorating
humanitarian situation in South Sudan, the European Commission is ready
to boost its live-saving assistance by €45 million to prevent an
appalling tragedy in the country which is affecting the whole region.
This upcoming funding has been
announced during a high-level meeting on the South Sudan humanitarian
crisis organised in Washington by the European Commission, the UN Office
for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and the United States
Agency for International Development.
"We are
currently very close to South Sudan becoming one of the biggest
protracted humanitarian crisis of our time. The international community
needs to prevent this from happening at all cost. Over one million
people have been displaced within and outside of the country, affecting
the whole region. Over three million people are in urgent need of
humanitarian aid and these numbers keep rising day by day without any
prospects for improvement", said Kristalina Georgieva, EU Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response.
Andris Piebalgs, EU Commissioner for Development commented: "The
descent of South Sudan into violent conflict causes enormous suffering
among innocent civilians. To respond to the worsening humanitarian
situation and help the people of South Sudan we are determined to use
all available instruments and have therefore decided to mobilise today’s
additional assistance from the European Development Fund. We aim to
ensure that basic services and food aid reach those South Sudanese who
are internally displaced or have sought refuge in neighbouring countries".
More and more refugees are
arriving to the overcrowded sites in Uganda, Ethiopia, Sudan and Kenya.
Internally displaced persons and refugees are completely dependent on
humanitarian assistance. More than half of the South Sudanese
population, 7 million people, are at risk of food insecurity.
Commissioner Georgieva also renewed her appeal to all parties to allow humanitarian access to Sudanese people in need: “Humanitarian
aid workers are at a great risk every day. It is critical that neutral,
impartial and experienced humanitarian workers can reach vulnerable
people to deliver the assistance necessary for their survival.”
The new funding brings the
Commission's relief aid in South Sudan to €95 million for this year. The
funds come from the European Development Fund and is still subject to
final approval by the Member States.
It will support immediate
life-saving activities such as distributing essential food and non-food
items, as well as providing shelter, health, protection, water, hygiene
and sanitation. Part of the funding - €15 million - will directly
address the urgent needs of South Sudanese refugees.
Background
Humanitarian situation in South
Sudan is grave ever since armed violence broke out in the capital Juba
on 15 December 2013 and subsequently spread to several states in South
Sudan. Over 800 000 people have been internally displaced and more than
250 000 have sought refuge in neighbouring countries. The dead and the
wounded are estimated to be in the tens of thousands.
The main humanitarian needs are
for food, clean water, healthcare, shelter, sanitation, hygiene and
protection. Current humanitarian response capacity is insufficient and
might decrease further since the rainy season has started earlier and
makes access to many parts of the country even more difficult. The UN
has declared South Sudan a "level 3" crises.
The European Commission is
making €95 million available in 2014 to respond to the unfolding and
intensifying humanitarian crisis in the country.
A team of humanitarian experts
of the Commission is on the ground monitoring the situation, assessing
needs and overseeing the use of EU funds.
[europa.eu]
12/4/14
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Related:
South Sudan conflict: Attack on UN base 'kills dozens'...
ReplyDeleteDozens of civilians sheltering in a UN base in the South Sudan town of Bor have been killed in an attack by armed youths, the UN says.
Toby Lanzer, the UN's top aid official in South Sudan, told the BBC that the youths broke through the gates and opened fire.
UN peacekeepers returned fire and eventually repelled the attackers, he said.
Almost 5,000 civilians are sheltering at the base in the war-ravaged town.
Thousands of people have been killed in South Sudan since fighting began in December between supporters of President Salva Kiir and his former deputy, Riek Machar.
More than one million people have been displaced in the conflict.
Mr Lanzer said a group of about 350 youths had left the centre of Bor, in Jonglei state, and approached the base on Thursday morning, allegedly wanting to present a petition.
"They managed to force the gate open, they came in and started shooting indiscriminately," he told the BBC........http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-27074635
17/4/14