Aid agencies operating in South Sudan are short of 485 million US dollars to assist 2.6 million people including vulnerable communities, returnees and refugees until the end of the year.
UN Humanitarian Coordinator in South Sudan, Toby Lanzer, told the press in Juba on Thursday that the Consolidated Appeal 2013 needed 1.05 billion dollars to assist 2.2 million with food and other aid, 263 thousand refugees, 125 thousand displaced people and 70 thousand returnees.Till mid-June, donors contributed 567 million US dollars.
He said the needed 485 million dollars will be used with the refugees and in food security, agriculture assistance, water, sanitation and hygiene programs, nutrition and health.
Mr Lanzer said by mid June the UN revised the Consolidated Appeal 2013 and found out that the number of people in need was lower than in November’s estimative.
He explained that a good crop and increase stability and security contributed to lower the humanitarian needs in the country.
The appeal was reduced from 1.16 billion dollars to 1.05 billion.
Mr Lanzer said there were 113 NGOs and UN agencies doing humanitarian work in South Sudan.
He added that by mid-June they had implemented up to 90 percent of their plans.
Mr Lanzer revealed South Sudan’s top ten donors: US, EU, UK, Japan, Canada, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Germany and Ireland.
He added that South Sudan is the UN’s largest aid operation in Africa.