- Anneliese Dodds visits a large camp for internally displaced people in Bentiu, witnessing first-hand the desperate situation of those impacted by regional conflict and the climate crisis.
- The Development Minister pressed senior South Sudanese Government ministers to act urgently to support humanitarian efforts and to make progress towards holding free and fair elections later in the year.
- She also announced a package of support for the most vulnerable people in South Sudan, Sudan and Chad, including new funding for a programme to tackle endemic gender-based violence.
Development Minister Anneliese Dodds has today [22nd August] announced vital UK aid for people in South Sudan, who face a humanitarian crisis driven by conflict, drought and flooding.
The Minister visited the country's largest internally displaced persons' camp in Bentiu, Unity State, where 100,000 people live in extreme poverty surrounded by flood waters that have not receded in years, seeing how UK aid is supporting them.
This followed meetings with senior South Sudanese government officials in Juba, when the Minister highlighted the urgent need for humanitarian aid to support those fleeing conflict.
She also pressed ministers on reforms to deliver free and fair elections scheduled for December 2024, emphasising the need for political progress to ensure peace and stability, greater government investment in health and education services and the importance of unrestricted humanitarian access.
In recent years, over a million people have been displaced by unprecedented flooding in South Sudan which has destroyed farms and livestock, and damaged schools and health facilities. The funding announced today will address these key issues, helping people improve farming techniques and build flood controls.
Further UK aid will support women-led organisations in South Sudan to work with communities to prevent gender-based violence, including education on the harm it causes. Counselling and support services will also be made available to women and girls who have experienced gender-based violence.
The Minister of State for Development, Anneliese Dodds said:
The humanitarian crisis in South Sudan has left over 75% of the population in desperate need, with many struggling to feed themselves and their families.
The camp I visited is also on the frontline of the climate crisis, following unprecedented flooding that threatens to overwhelm over 100,000 displaced people who are already facing acute hunger and need. The heartbreaking accounts I heard from those who were forced to flee the civil war in neighbouring Sudan hit home the urgent need to support those fleeing conflict. The levels of gender-based violence women and girls face in South Sudan is appalling, and I want to thank the survivors who shared their harrowing stories with me.
I also heard how UK aid is helping provide a lifeline to those in dire need and provide the building blocks for a better future. As Minister for Development and Women and Equalities I am determined to do more to alleviate their suffering of these people. New funding I have announced will save lives and tackle food shortages and malnutrition. It will also provide essential support to stop gender-based violence and ensure displaced communities can adapt to deal with the impacts of flooding and the climate crisis.
The conflict in Sudan is also causing vulnerable people to flee and seek safety in South Sudan and Chad. To address this, the UK is also providing food parcels for 145,000 people in Sudan and around 60,000 vulnerable refugees in Chad. Displaced people in South Sudan will also receive critical nutrition services for children under 5 and their caregivers.
Working in partnership with the UN and NGO partners, this package will provide 180,000 people with access to food and cash transfers, 15,000 children with treatment for severe malnutrition, and 40,000 displaced people with safe water in South Sudan.
All this support is part of a total funding package of £86 million for this year announced during the visit.
The Director General of the International Organization for Migration, Amy Pope said:
We welcome the much-needed attention the United Kingdom is bringing to the displaced people in South Sudan, where already fragile communities are facing the extreme impact of climate change, alongside a large influx of refugees and returnees escaping the war across the border in Sudan.
Since these multiple crises began, IOM has been responding to the mounting humanitarian needs of displaced populations in the region. While the needs are vast, these additional resources will help us save lives and provide practical solutions by scaling up life-saving transportation assistance, health care, provision of water, sanitation, hygiene, shelter, and specific support for victims and survivors of gender-based violence.
In Ethiopia, on the last day of her trip, which finished yesterday [Wednesday, August 21] the Minister met with Foreign Minister Taye Atske-Selassie to discuss UK support for peace and security across Ethiopia and the wider region; as well as economic growth and development priorities. Meeting with African Union Commissioner Bankole Adeoye, she discussed peace and security issues across the continent, including in Sudan, South Sudan and Somalia.
Background
The Minister for Development has announced a £86 million package which includes:
- £69 million humanitarian assistance and resilience funding to South Sudan.
- £1.8 million to prevent gender-based violence and to support survivors in South Sudan.
- £15 million for those in Sudan, as well as people fleeing the Sudan conflict in Chad and South Sudan.
- This additional £15 million brings total UK ODA country allocations to Sudan, South Sudan and Chad this financial year to over £220 million.
- This funding aims to reduce the drivers of famine in South Sudan, protect women and girls and rebuild livelihoods for displaced communities, including people fleeing violence in Sudan.
- More than nine million people are in need of humanitarian assistance in South Sudan.
- The Sudan conflict has left over half of the Sudanese population in desperate need of food assistance. The conflict has created additional strain on South Sudan, with more than 780,000 people arriving since April 2023.
- Meeting with representatives of Sudanese political parties and civil society in Ethiopia, the Minister also discussed regional efforts to end the conflict in Sudan.
