UN seeks $1.6B for war-torn South Sudan

Eugene Owusu, the UN’s humanitarian coordinator for South Sudan, said the situation in the country had “deteriorated dramatically due to the devastating combination of conflict, economic decline and climatic shocks”.

“In 2017, we are facing unprecedented needs, in an unprecedented number of locations, and these needs will increase during the upcoming lean season,” he added.

Since the conflict in South Sudan began in December 2013, about 3.4 million people have been forced to flee their homes, including nearly 1.9 million people who have been internally displaced and about 1.5 million who have fled as refugees to neighboring countries.

The UN relief chief said an estimated 7.5 million people across South Sudan are now in need of humanitarian assistance and protection.

“With needs rising rapidly, we have rigorously prioritized the 2017 Humanitarian Response Plan to target those who most urgently require assistance and protection,” said Owusu.

“It is imperative that this appeal is funded early, and funded fully, so that the aid workers deployed across South Sudan can respond robustly and rapidly.”

Almost three years of civil war in South Sudan have killed tens of thousands of people and displaced 2.4 million in a conflict characterized by human rights abuses.