United Kingdom Supports Lifesaving IOM Operations In South Sudan

By Jok P Mayom

“Through an additional contribution of GBP 5 million (USD 7.5 million), the United Kingdom Department for International Development (DFID) will help address these growing needs” reads a statement issued by DFID.

The UK says that its support will enable the provision of emergency shelter, relief items and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) materials to households in remote and conflict-affected areas, as well as displacement sites.

“The needs remain immense two years into the crisis, with an estimated 1.7 million people internally displaced and millions more in urgent need of assistance” it says.

 “..In addition, the funding boost will support site expansion efforts at the United Nation (UN) protection of civilians (PoC) site in Malakal, Upper Nile State, where nearly 47,800 internally displaced persons (IDPs) are seeking protection”.

“As co-lead of the Shelter/Non-Food Items (NFI) Cluster, IOM will procure, store and coordinate distribution of essential household items, such as shelter construction materials, for approximately 26,500 households, or 132,500 people” said DFID.

DFID’s contribution ensures that the pipeline of supplies will be sustained during the first half of 2016 without interruption.

IOM will dispatch these items to strategic locations during the dry season to enable pre-positioning and timely release of items. As the crisis persists, IOM will target displaced and vulnerable households who were not reached in 2015, as well as other populations in need.

Through the WASH core pipeline, the funding also strengthens IOM’s capacity to provide partners with urgently needed WASH supplies, such as buckets, collapsible jerry cans, soap and water purification tablets. IOM will continue to pre-position lifesaving supplies in strategic locations across the country to ensure efficient and timely assistance to populations in remote or hard-to-reach areas.

DFID will support IOM’s efforts to expand development of the Malakal PoC site, which experienced a population increase of more than 60 per cent in mid-July/late August that stressed existing humanitarian services and already crowded conditions.

As humanitarian access and conditions in surrounding areas remain fluid, additional population influxes into the Malakal PoC are possible. IOM efforts to improve the site will mitigate overcrowding and the risk of flooding during the rainy season, as well as improve IDP access to humanitarian services.

In 2015, DFID has contributed more than USD 12 million toward IOM’s humanitarian response in South Sudan, helping to address the most urgent needs of displaced and conflict-affected populations.