International aid agencies are appealing for US$1.2 billion to provide vital humanitarian assistance for more than 2.2 million South Sudanese refugees living in five neighboring countries in 2021.
In a briefing in Geneva on Tuesday, the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR spokesperson Babar Baloch said although some progress has been made in the peace implementation, humanitarian and protection needs remain high for South Sudanese refugees.
Baloch noted that a majority of South Sudanese refugees are hosted in relatively remote and under-developed areas, coupled with the Covid-19 pandemic and climate change-related challenges including severe flooding, droughts, and desert locusts have compounded an already dire situation.
"Funding is urgently needed to provide life-sustaining assistance, including shelter, access to safe drinking water, education, and health services. Food shortages are particularly acute with insufficient funding already leading to ration cuts impacting hundreds of thousands of refugees," he said.
According to UNHCR, this year’s response includes a renewed and increased focus on resilience and supporting livelihoods of both the refugees and host communities.
"The 2021 South Sudan Regional Refugee Response Plan complements the South Sudan Humanitarian Response Plan for 2021, also launching today. The HRP requires US$1.7 billion in funding to provide life-saving assistance and protection to 6.6 million people – including 350,000 refugees – in need within the country, many of whom are facing severe food insecurity due to conflict, climate change-related emergencies, and the economic impact of COVID-19," Baloch added.
Baloch added that humanitarian partners will intensify gender-based violence prevention and response, and prioritize support to persons with specific needs, including strengthening child protection programs and scaling up psychosocial and mental health support.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan, and Uganda continue to host South Sudanese refugees.