HIGHLIGHTS
• Over 100 humanitarian partners to respond to most pressing needs through the 2016 Humanitarian Response Plan.
• Humanitarian assistance is reaching people in need in Leer County following the return of aid workers.
• Thousands of people displaced by fighting in parts of Western Equatoria.
• Over 2 million malaria cases reported across the country in 2015.
FIGURES
No. of Internally Displaced Persons: 1.69 million
No. of refugees in neighboring countries (post 15 Dec 2013): 648,096
No. of people targeted for assistance in 2016: 5.1 million
Humanitarian community appeals for $1.3 billion to assist 5.1 million people in need
The South Sudan Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) for 2016, which was officially launched on 19 January in Juba, requests US$1.3 billion to respond to the most lifethreatening needs of 5.1 million people across the country. A total of 114 humanitarian organizations, including international and national NGOs and UN agencies, will implement projects that are in the HRP.
Speaking at the launch of the plan, the Humanitarian Coordinator for South Sudan, Eugene Owusu, said: “We are in a race against time to ensure that the most desperate and vulnerable across South Sudan are reached with lifesaving protection and assistance before it is too late. Together we can quite literally save millions of lives and livelihoods.” The launch brought together authorities, humanitarian partners and the media.
Hon. Gatwech Peter Kulang, Executive Director of the Relief Organisation for South Sudan (ROSS), said: “The HRP 2016 has clearly demonstrated the depth of the humanitarian crisis in the country, including what is expected in the coming years.” Hon. Prof. Lokulenge Lole Timayo, Chairman of the South Sudan Relief and Rehabilitation Commission (RRC), said: “The spirit in which this document was produced was genuine and researched and therefore we feel it represents a good picture of what is going on in our country.” He also commended the cooperation between humanitarian partners and the Government and said he hoped this would continue as the response plan was translated into action on the ground.
Mr. Owusu emphasized the need for a conducive operating environment as a prerequisite for the successful implementation of the HRP, noting that, in 2015, humanitarian partners had to suspend operations and withdraw staff from locations when fighting erupted; offices, vehicles and vital facilities were attacked and looted; and humanitarian staff were threatened and killed. At least 43 humanitarian workers have been killed since December 2013.
ROSS and RCC pledged to work to create an enabling environment and improved access for humanitarian workers to deliver assistance to people in need in their areas of influence.
“We regret the death of many of our humanitarian workers, and most of them are South Sudanese incidentally, and therefore we would want to see to it that that should not happen,” Prof. Timayo said.
Appreciating the presence of both RRC and ROSS at the HRP launch, Mr. Owusu stressed the importance of building wider ownership and partnership across all sectors to address humanitarian challenges, saying: “It is important that we ensure and maintain consistent and constructive dialogue that is not premised on apportioning blame but rather on seeking innovative and creative solutions.” Mr. Owusu noted that humanitarian partners have worked tirelessly to reach people in need, despite the dangerous and difficult operating environment, delivering life-saving assistance and protection to more than 4.4 million people in South Sudan by November 2015, including in some of the most remote locations.
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