The Government of Japan, through its Embassy in South Sudan, on Wednesday donated food assistance worth USD 3.19 million to the UN World Food Program (WFP) for crisis response and school feeding programs in the country.
Speaking during the signing ceremony at the WFP warehouse in Juba, Odagiri Toshio, Ambassador of Japan to South Sudan, said the donation comes at a time when the humanitarian situation in the country remains dire.
“The humanitarian situation remains dire and continues to deteriorate due to growing food insecurity and the influx of refugees and returnees from Sudan, whose numbers now exceed 750,000, and is expected to worsen due to floods that are expected to affect up to 3.3 million people throughout the country, including 1.8 million children,” he said. “The food assistance aims to alleviate food insecurity and malnutrition in South Sudan. The program will provide approximately 1,150 metric tons of Japanese rice valued at US$3.2 million to 61,350 people, including 24,350 school children, who will receive school meals for three months.”
According to the diplomat, the rice from Japan will be distributed to people in areas classified by WFP as food insecure, in emergency and catastrophic situations according to the IPC (Integrated Food Security Phase Classification).
For her part, Mary-Ellen McGroarty, WFP South Sudan Country Director, said the donation will allow the agency provide much-needed assistance to over 61,350 vulnerable people.
“This will facilitate the provision of lifesaving food assistance to crisis-affected people, including displaced populations affected by conflict and flooding, as well as populations in counties classified under emergency and catastrophe food insecurity levels according to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC),” she said. “With increasing humanitarian needs triggered by compounding crises including the unfolding floods which could potentially affect over 3 million people and the ongoing conflict in Sudan which has already resulted in almost 800,000 people crossing the border into South Sudan, this contribution is timely and essential to ensure continued assistance to the most vulnerable people.”
McGroarty added that Japan’s contribution will also support the provision of school meals to 24,350 school-going boys and girls for three months, ensuring that they remain in school.
She stressed that the project will be implemented by WFP’s partners and the Government of South Sudan, UNICEF, and other education, health, and nutrition actors who will implement the school feeding programs.
“The school meals program is critical to ensuring children enroll and stay in schools. School meals have proven to contribute to improved school attendance and have the potential to support the development of South Sudan’s human capital,” McGroarty stated.
Meanwhile, Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management Minister Albino Akol Atak said the humanitarian need in South Sudan this year is huge with over 7 million people in need of aid as a result of economic crises caused by climate change and the Sudan crisis.
“This year we have a lot of crises that made our people more vulnerable like climate change impact that causes floods and drought. The other is the conflict in Sudan that has now made more than 800,000 people flee to South Sudan,” he said. “The economy of South Sudan would have not deteriorated if it was not for these crises. Climate change has made our people produce less food and the conflict in Sudan, plus other issues, made more than 7 million people depend on humanitarian assistance, mostly food assistance.”
“And this is where WFP comes in to complement these needs,” the minister concluded.