Scottish funds aid people hit by 'unprecedented' flooding in South Sudan

Working with partner UNIDOR, Christian Aid is using recently awarded Scottish Government funding for emergency cash grants, farming seeds, tools and fishing kits to families in Unity State facing a food crisis because of the impact of flooding on their harvests.

Sally Foster-Fulton, head of Christian Aid Scotland said the devastation was a stark reminder of climate change^[1] ahead of COP26 in Glasgow.

“Just a few months ago we warned about the scale of hunger in South Sudan due to the impacts of climate change, conflict and Covid-19,” she said. “Now more extensive flooding, for the third year in a row, is making a difficult situation even worse.

“The funding from the Scottish Government is allowing us to reach some of the most vulnerable communities in Unity state but the reality is that many people simply don’t have enough to eat.

“COP26 is just around the corner. If ever we needed a stark reminder of the injustice of climate change, impacting those who have done the least to cause it, this is it.”

Christian Aid, together with local partner African Development Aid (ADA), is also providing emergency life-saving support including blankets, mosquito nets, water purification tablets and cash to flood affected families in Fangak County in Jonglei state.

READ MORE: Outcry as Tory aid cuts risk 'lethal' effect on peace in South Sudan^[2]

James Wani, Christian Aid’s country director in South Sudan, said the flooding was on a scale he had not previously experienced.

“The scale of the flooding is unprecedented and is overwhelming areas along the River Nile,” he said. “The flooding destroys everything. People have lost their crops and their livestock. When the water does finally recede, people will return to nothing.

“We are only going to see the hunger crisis escalate over the next few months.”

The Scottish Government is supporting charities working in South Sudan with £250,000 from the Humanitarian Emergency Fund (HEF).

The Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund (SCIAF) along with Christian Aid have received the funding to respond to the growing food emergency.

SCIAF chief executive Alistair Dutton (above) said: “We are proud to be a part of the Scottish Government’s Humanitarian Emergency Fund.

“With this funding, we will help people with disabilities in South Sudan receive the emergency food they desperately need. We are working with our local partners to provide vital seed kits and field crops, alongside agricultural training, to help families survive this crisis and build a better future.”

International Development Minister Jenny Gilruth said: “The situation in South Sudan is a desperate one, and we stand ready to act when confronted with such a pressing emergency.

“We know that more than seven million people, more than half the population, face hunger – and this is where the Humanitarian Emergency Fund can play a part.

“The Scottish Government is committed to fulfilling its role as a responsible and compassionate global citizen and this aid will provide essential help to those in desperate need.”

References

1. ^{^} climate change (www.thenational.scot)
2. ^{^} Outcry as Tory aid cuts risk 'lethal' effect on peace in South Sudan (www.thenational.scot)