December 21, 2022 (JUBA) – The United Nations humanitarian chief has released $14 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to support the provision of direct humanitarian assistance to 262,521 people affected by increased violence and severe flooding in South Sudan.

“This funding will support reducing people’s vulnerability and protection risks through activities implemented by the United Nations humanitarian agencies in South Sudan, including IOM, UNICEF, UNHCR, WFP and WHO, while ensuring that humanitarian assistance reaches people in need as quickly as possible,” Sara Beysolow Nyanti, the Humanitarian Coordinator for South Sudan said on Thursday.

The implementing agencies will reportedly use a targeted area-based approach to ensure that the much-needed support reaches people with the highest severity of needs.

Affected people, the UN said, have experienced multiple shocks which have led to secondary and tertiary displacements with increased protection risks, loss of livelihoods and the erosion of previously provided support.

The newly allocated funding is expected to benefit people in five states across South Sudan’s state of Unity, Upper Nile, Northern Bahr el Ghazel, Jonglei, Warrrap as well as those in the Abyei Administrative Area.

The funding will ensure critical life-saving services, including protection, health, education, water, sanitation and hygiene activities are provided.

The UN humanitarian coordinator emphasized the need to prioritize people with the most acute needs among internally displaced people and host communities.

“Women, girls, the elderly, persons with specific needs, and those who stayed behind in hard-to-reach areas due to mobility constraints, often bear the brunt of protracted crises and desperately need support,” said Nyanti.

She added, “People are going through unimaginable suffering. We cannot leave behind the most vulnerable”.

South Sudan’s humanitarian crisis has been underfunded across all humanitarian interventions leaving millions of people at risk, the UN said.

“We need long-term solutions to close the rising funding gaps and pave the way towards development,” stressed Nyanti.

According to the UN, endemic violence, ongoing conflict and severe floods have continued to increase people’s vulnerabilities, leaving two-thirds of South Sudan’s population in need of humanitarian and protection assistance in 2023.