2020 South Sudan Humanitarian Response in Review

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Key figures

People in need 7.5M

People targeted 7.6M

People reached 7.3M

Requirements (US$) 1.9B

Funded (US$) 1.2B

Communities across South Sudan, especially women and children, were hit hard in 2020 by the multiple shocks of intensified conflict and sub-national violence, a second consecutive year of major flooding, and the impacts of COVID-19 related restrictions on livelihoods. An estimated two thirds of the population needed humanitarian assistance and protection services.

Humanitarian organizations worked tirelessly to meet people’s priority needs, guided by three strategic objectives set in the 2020 Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP). By the end of the year, some 7.3 million women, men and children were reached with some form of assistance or protection through the plan. Key achievements included more than 5 million people reached with food security and livelihood support; some 3.3 million emergency health consultations conducted; and more than 2.1 million people benefiting from access to improved water sources. An estimated 1.4 million people were reached with protection services, including child protection and protection from gender-based violence. Some 1.1 million children and new mothers were treated for acute malnutrition. A million people, most of whom were displaced, received emergency shelter and essential household items and nearly 600,000 displaced people benefited from camp coordination and management support. Some 300,000 children received education in emergencies, less than planned due to COVID-19 related school closures. More than 8,600 metric tons of humanitarian supplies were transported to 166 locations. Among the more than 200 HRP partners operating across the country, nearly 60 per cent were South Sudanese non-governmental organizations.

The humanitarian response was hampered by sub-national violence, violence against humanitarian personnel and assets, bureaucratic impediments, operational interference, and COVID-19 related restrictions on movement. Remote communities were cut off from assistance during the rainy season. Five counties experienced high access constraints in 2020, compared to three in 2019. (Read more about humanitarian access in the 2020 access overview^[1].)

The humanitarian response was enabled by generous donor contributions. The response plan was 65 per cent funded, with US$1.2 billion received toward the $1.9 billion appeal. This included $38 million allocated through the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) and $62 million disbursed through the South Sudan Humanitarian Fund (SSHF).

References

1. ^{^} 2020 access overview (reliefweb.int)