Roundup: UN appeals for more funding to prevent famine in South Sudan

The UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) on Wednesday appealed for more funding to save a million people on the brink of famine affecting more than 100,000 people.

UNMISS Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary General (DSRSG) Eugene Owusu told journalist in the capital Juba fewer than 30 percent of the 1.6 billion U.S. dollars needed for humanitarian response is available to tackle the burgeoning humanitarian situation in the war-torn country.

"The total envelope of resources required to deliver assistance and protection to the 7.5 million people in need in this country is stipulated at 1.6 billion dollars. To date we have been able to mobilize under 30 percent of the total requirement that is needed," he told journalists in Juba.

"Funding is urgently needed, particularly to scale up the famine response, to procure, preposition and deliver vital supplies in the dry season and we must take urgent action to avert further catastrophe in the month ahead," Owusu added.

This follows the February declaration of famine by the UN in the Mayendit and Leer Counties of the northern Unity state where 100,000 people are starving, and in March 8 aid workers were captured by rebels and food supplies looted.

"The famine was declared after the humanitarian response plan was launched, so clearly there is fragmentation of resources," he said.

"We should be careful not to have a hyper focus on famine because the famine currently affects 100,000 people. We have a million people who are on the brink, so a lot of energies should be in investing in assistance to poor people who are on the brink that is what we are focusing on," Owusu said.

He added that humanitarian response is currently focused on scaling up food assistance, nutrition, health provision, water and sanitation (WASH) and enhancing livelihood opportunities for those in need and large scale displacements in Kodok, Abrok in Fashoda County of Upper Nile state.

"First the guns have to fall silent and cessation of hostilities must hold. While humanitarians will continue to do all that is possible to alleviate suffering of lives the fact remains unless, the guns fall silent the humanitarian situation will continue to deteriorate," Owusu warned.

He also said that the increasing insecurity and access denials by the warring parties amid killings of aid workers is impeding humanitarian operations.

"While humanitarian workers in this country remain ready to scale up efforts, all parties to the conflict must ensure that their operating environment is conducive to the delivery of aid by ensuring free, safe and unhindered access to all areas of this country especially to avert spread of famine," he said.

Owusu also revealed that humanitarian workers are increasingly operating in a difficult, dangerous environment and are paying the ultimate sacrifice with their lives.

"Over the weekend the humanitarian community was compelled to relocate 60 humanitarian workers from parts of Jonglei following serious violence and escalation in insecurity there," he said.

"And only a week ago we lost three contractors working for one of the humanitarian agencies in Wau," he added.

At least 82 aid workers have been killed since December 2013, including recent killings of six aid workers in an ambush attack on the road between Juba and Pibor area.

Owusu further added that aid workers are often harassed across the country and humanitarian compounds and supplies have been looted and vandalized most recently in Yirol, Jonglei, Kajo Keji and Yei in Central Equatoria, Wau Shiluk in Upper Nile and Mayendit in Unity state.

"Humanitarians face repeated challenges to reach people in dire need as a result of insecurity and access denials. The biggest part of the challenges that we have to deal with is not at the national level but rather at sub-national level," he disclosed.

He, however, commended recent efforts by authorities to remove blockades on humanitarian access.

"The humanitarian community welcomes commitments made by the President and minister of humanitarian affairs to remove obstacles including to minimizing transaction costs to humanitarian workers," he said. Endit