The World Food Programme (WFP) said the European Union funding of €6.2 million (US$7.5 million) helped it provide common logistics services for more than 300 humanitarian organizations in South Sudan.
WFP said in a statement on Tuesday that contributions in 2019 enabled the United Nations Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS), to provide flights for the humanitarian community across South Sudan.
The air service transports 90,000 passengers each year to 55 regular destinations in the country, enabling responders to reach communities most in need.
The UN agency further said some of the funding helped the Logistics Cluster, to coordinate logistics activities for the humanitarian response as well as information management to support operational decision-making.
“The needs in South Sudan are enormous,” says Matthew Hollingworth, WFP’s Country Director.
“We are grateful to the EU for continued support that allows us to provide capacity and expertise to other humanitarian organizations and the government at a time when we need the sum total of each other’s weight to ensure that assistance reaches all in need,” he added.
Since the signing of a peace deal in September 2018, South Sudan has been relatively stable. But despite reduced fighting, two-thirds of the population, or 7.5 million people, is in need of humanitarian assistance.