> > Humanitarian crisis: S. Sudan turns the corner/ The East African / > 10.12.13 > A SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT > > There is an improved humanitarian situation in South Sudan as the numbers > of new refugees and returnees arriving from Sudan continue to decrease. > > According to the 2014-2016 Consolidated Appeals Process (CAP) for South > Sudan, there is also an overall improvement in food security in the > country. > > However, a significant proportion of the South Sudan population still needs > food as well as clean water, sanitation and health services. > > “While humanitarian needs remain immense, the situation has improved on > several fronts,” said Vincent Lelei, the head of the UN Office for the > Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in South Sudan. > > “Humanitarian needs have reduced for the first time since 2011,” he noted. > “The arrival of refugees from Sudan has slowed down. Food security overall > improved for many people.” > > In 2014, OCHA anticipates that 4.4 million people in South Sudan will need > humanitarian aid, compared with 4.6 million in 2013. > > “The reduction is due to lower refugee and returnee arrivals anticipated, > and fewer people expected to be food insecure,” Mr Lelei said. > > Of the 4.4 million, aid agencies are targeting the most vulnerable 3.1 > million individuals in 2014. The country’s population is 12 million. The > three-year CAP requested $1.1 billion to meet the needs of the 3.1 million > ($355 per person), focusing on emergency health, food and nutrition > support. > > According to Mr Lelei, humanitarian assistance will be provided across 12 > sectors. Some 2.3 million people will be targeted with food and livelihood > support, 2.9 million will be provided with clean water and sanitation, and > 2 million will be provided with health services. > > “We anticipate that South Sudan will host 270,000 refugees by the end of > next year,” Mr Lelei said. “These people will be supported with shelter, > food, education and nutrition.” > > South Sudan is home to about 225,557 refugees, according to OCHA. They are > mainly from Sudan’s Blue Nile and South Kordofan states. > > In mid-October, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) appealed for humanitarian > assistance for 2,500 new Sudanese arrivals from South Kordofan in Kodok and > Lelo in Fashoda and Malakal counties respectively. > > “The people we have seen in Upper Nile State [in northern South Sudan] have > walked five to 10 days, fleeing from their homes in Warni and Kau-Nyaro in > southeastern South Kordofan state. Some said they had left their homes due > to the ongoing conflict and lack of food after two consecutive poor harvest > seasons,” MSF operational manager Alberto Cristina said. > > “They are already weak when they arrive and, without humanitarian > assistance, their condition will only worsen.” > > MSF is providing treatment to children under five at its feeding programme > in Kodok. The organisation also has mobile clinics in Lelo and Gholo areas > in Upper Nile State, South Sudan. > > Attacks against civilians > > South Sudan has also been struggling with internal conflict in Jonglei > State as well as natural disasters. In late October, the UN Mission in > South Sudan (UNMISS) condemned attacks against civilians in Jonglei’s Twic > East County. > > An estimated 159,130 people have been internally displaced in the country > since January, according to OCHA, which notes that “due to access > constraints, this figure under-represents the actual number of people > displaced by violence in the country.” > > South Sudan was also recently hit by flooding, which affected 199,003 > people. > > Speaking about the launch of the appeal on November 14, Awut Deng Acuil, > South Sudan’s Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and disaster Management, > said placing national institutions at the forefront of aid work will help > create a South Sudan that is more able to care for its citizens in times of > crisis. >
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