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South Sudan to spend 1.6 bln USD on humanitarian aid: official

Xinhua, February 12, 2017 Adjust font size:

South Sudan's Cabinet on Friday approved an ambitious 1.6 billion U.S. dollars humanitarian response plan for an estimated 5.8 million displaced persons in the strife torn country, said Information Minister Michael Makuei on Saturday.

Makuei told reporters that the proposed budget seeks to cater for the resettlement and rehabilitation of people displaced by conflict and to respond to emergencies.

He said government would contribute 1 percent and the rest will be raised from the international community to address the fragile humanitarian situation in the world's youngest republic that has experienced civil strife since December 2013.

The ministry of finance has already financed the transport of more than 10,000 internally displaced persons to their homes. However, due to the current situation of the government, it is expected that the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs will raise funds to help in the transportation of these people to their respective homes," Makuei said.

The United Nations refugee agency, UNHCR, said on Friday that ongoing violence and pace of displacement in South Sudan has forced more than 1.5 million people to seek refuge in neighboring countries while there are additional 2.1 million people internally displaced persons in the country.

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) also warned last month that extreme levels of food insecurity are expected across South Sudan through the lean season of 2017 due to continued violence and drop in food production.

In a recent interview with Xinhua, Undersecretary in the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs Gatwech Peter Kulang said humanitarian interventions in South Sudan were hampered by lack of an integrated plan and insecurity in some parts of the country. Endte