The government of the United Kingdom has pledged to provide emergency support to 100,000 people facing severe food shortages in South Sudan.
This was announced this afternoon in Juba by the International Development Minister, Stephen O’Brien after visiting the volatile border areas between South Sudan and Sudan.Mr O’Brien warned of a looming humanitarian crisis with hundreds of thousands of people already facing hunger due to poor rains, insecurity and influx of returnees from Sudan.
He stressed that life saving emergency is not the long term answer to this avoidable disaster.
The UK minister urged the Governments of Sudan and South Sudan to find a lasting solution by expressing their leadership and political will to solve their disputes once and for all.
Mr O’Brien said the emergency support would amount to 10 million Pounds and an extra 5 million Pounds for future emergency relief.
He cautioned that British development funds would not be used to fill a financial hole of the government’s own making by shutting down oil production.
Mr O’Brien visited Jamam refugee camp, in Upper Nile, where 36,000 people are stranded after fleeing the fighting across the border in Blue Nile.
They are among more than 100 thousand men, women and children displaced by the violence between the two countries.