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Minister Flanagan and Minister of State McHugh announce funding of €2.3m for South Sudan victims

 

Minister Flanagan and Minister of State McHugh announce funding of €2.3m for South Sudan victims

 

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Charlie Flanagan T.D. and Minister of State for the Diaspora and International Development, Joe McHugh T.D. today announced new funding of €2.314 million in humanitarian assistance for victims of the ongoing crisis in South Sudan. The funding will support South Sudanese Refugees in the West Nile region of Northern Uganda.

 

This funding brings Ireland’s humanitarian assistance for the South Sudan crisis to over €11 million in 2016.  Since the outbreak of violence in December 2013, Ireland has provided over €30 million in humanitarian assistance to the South Sudan crisis, channelled through UN, Red Cross and NGO partners on the ground. 

 

Speaking today Minister Flanagan said:

 

“The situation in South Sudan continues to deteriorate at an alarming rate. I am deeply concerned by reports from the UN that a steady process of ethnic cleansing is underway in several areas of South Sudan and that there is a clear risk of genocide.  It is imperative that the military and political leaders of South Sudan do everything in their power to avoid the resumption of war, and to spare their people further suffering and to find a just political settlement for their differences.

 

While the funding announced today will support the emergency humanitarian needs of South Sudanese refugees in Uganda, we cannot escape the fact that the humanitarian crisis requires a political solution to end the protracted cycle of violence in South Sudan.”

 

Following his meeting with EU Development Ministers in Brussels and his visit to Kenya last week, where he participated in a roundtable discussion on conflict in the Horn of Africa, the Minister of State for the Diaspora and International Development, Mr Joe McHugh T.D., stated:

 

“The conflict in the South Sudan is forcing people to flee to neighbouring countries in increasing numbers. I saw the impact of this first hand when I visited Adjumani Refugee Settlement in Uganda in July where many women and children had fled fighting and violence. Many were fleeing South Sudan for the second or third time in three years. We cannot allow this to continue.

 

I also saw the generous refugee policy being implemented by the Government of Uganda where refugees are given land and vocational education opportunities in order to provide them with a sustainable livelihood. The funding we are announcing today will go directly to support South Sudanese refugees in Uganda. “

 

             

The funding announced today is being allocated to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and World Food Programme (WFP) to enable them to assist almost 592,889 South Sudanese refugees living in transit centres and settlements in the West Nile Region of Northern Uganda. €1.4 million will be provided to the WFP for emergency food assistance and €914,000 will be provided to UNHCR for the provision of water and sanitation and Non Food items in the newly-opened refugee settlements as well as for their overall coordination and logistical support to the response.

 

ENDS

Press Office

6 December 2016

 

Notes to the editor

  • South Sudan is suffering one of the most severe humanitarian crises in the world.  Conflict has already displaced around 3 million people, approximately one fifth of the population. Latest estimates place the number of those in need of humanitarian assistance at 6.1 million, with widespread food insecurity, health and displacement issues across the country.
  • For the first time since the crisis began in December 2013, over 1 million South Sudanese people have now taken refuge in neighbouring countries including in Ethiopia, Uganda, Sudan and Kenya. 
  • So far in 2016, Ireland contributed €11.039 million to the South Sudan crisis.   
  • Since the outbreak of violence in December 2013, Ireland has provided over €30 million in humanitarian assistance to the South Sudan crisis to support UN, Red Cross and NGO partners on the ground in their humanitarian response operations. 
  • In addition, 5 airlifts comprising of a total of 235 tonnes of emergency relief supplies were dispatched into South Sudan and to South Sudanese refugees in northern Uganda under Ireland’s Rapid Response Initiative since the outbreak of the conflict in December 2013.
  • Also under Ireland’s Rapid Response Initiative 13 members of Ireland’s Rapid Response Corps have also been deployed since the conflict began.