ICRC humanitarian response in South Sudan: January to September 2020

People collecting food and essential items during an ICRC distribution in Awul, 2020.

Throughout the first three quarters of 2020, despite the challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), together with the South Sudan Red Cross Society (SSRCS), remained active and committed to reaching families and communities affected by conflict and armed violence across South Sudan. We met their urgent humanitarian needs, helped protect their lives and dignity, and built their resilience to recurrent conflict, to armed violence as well as to the growing impact of climatic shocks, such as floods, that caused the displacement of an estimated population of 800,000 people during this period.

From January to September 2020, the ICRC distributed seeds and farming tools to 416,344 people, donated fishing kits to 154,632 people and improved access to safe drinking water to 100,000 people across the country. We provided 305,035 consultations at 22 primary health care centres and 1 hospital supported by ICRC.

We continue to maintain a dialogue with all weapon bearers to have access to conflict affected communities. This bilateral and confidential dialogue is part of our mandate and remains key to alleviate human suffering and to protect and assist people affected by war and other situation of violence.

From January to September, the ICRC visited over 5,100 detainees at 34 places of detention to monitor their treatment and helped improve their living conditions and reunited 104 vulnerable persons, including children, with their families. It also facilitated 58,330 phone calls between family members separated by the conflict and armed violence.

The facts and figures document provide a summary of the impact of the ICRC's humanitarian response in South Sudan from January to September 2020.