Gov’t pleads with UN to prioritise S. Sudan in 2022 disaster response

The government has appealed to the United Nations to prioritise South Sudan in the global humanitarian response fund for 2022.

The plea was made in a meeting between the Minister of Foreign Affairs Mayiik Ayii Deng and the new Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for South Sudan, Sara Beysolow Nyanti

Speaking to the media after the meeting, Director for International Organizations in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Amb. David Buom Choat appealed to the UN to include South Sudan on the list of countries to benefit from the recently announced global humanitarian funds for 63 UN partner states.

According to the UN’s global humanitarian outlook for 2022, 274 million people around the world will require humanitarian assistance and protection.

This number rises significantly from 235 million people a year ago, which it said is the biggest in decades. According to the study, the UN and partner organisations plan to help 183 million people in need across 63 countries.

Amb. David said South Sudan has been experiencing the effects of climate change as a result of the devastating flooding that displaced over 800,000 people across the country in 2021 alone.

“With respect to the US$41 billion of the global partnership that is supposed to be used for the humanitarian situation in the world and other crisis, we as the government of South Sudan see into that so that we should be given priority because of some of the issues that we are having in the country,” Amb. Buom appealed.

“People are displaced because the climate change is very much affecting South Sudan. We are also implementing the agreement where the South Sudanese that are in the neighbouring countries are returning home,” Buom said.

According to the most recent UN humanitarian report on the flooding situation in South Sudan, over 835,000 people across the country have been affected by floods.

Due to a revision following the voyage to the Duk Islands in early December, the agency reports a rise in the number from 854,000 at the end of November.

The floods of last year affected 33 counties out of the 78 counties in the 10 states. According to the report, Jonglei is the worst hit, with 305,000 people affected, followed by Unity (220,000) and Upper Nile (141,000).

According to the organization, nearly 620,000 people have been reached with humanitarian assistance in all of the counties affected, out of 835,000 people affected by floods in 2021.

South Sudan’s flooding was mostly caused by water overflow caused by rising water levels in the Nile River, which displaced a large number of people along the river, as well as groundwater in some locations, such as Western Equatoria State.

In response to the government of South Sudan’s appeal, Sara Beysolow Nyanti, the UN’s deputy representative for South Sudan who is also the resident coordinator and humanitarian coordinator, reassured the government of the UN’s commitment to providing humanitarian assistance to those in need across the country.

She praised the government for making it easier for humanitarian organisations to reach out to people in need of aid.