EU provides €2 million emergency funds for flood victims in S. Sudan
November 8, 2021 (NAIROBI) – The European Commission has announced the allocation of an emergency humanitarian funding of €2 million for those affected by recent unprecedented floods in South Sudan.
To date, an estimated 40 people have died and over 750,000 people are affected, aid agencies say. Many people fled their homes due to the floods in 31 of the 78 counties of the country, including most famine-affected areas.
Projections indicate that over 1 million people may be affected by those floods by the end of the year.
“Severe flooding in several areas of South Sudan has exacerbated an already fragile humanitarian situation. Prior to the flooding, around 70% of South Sudan’s population was already in need of urgent humanitarian assistance,” said Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management Commissioner, Janez Lenarcic.
He added, “Thousands of people live in famine-like conditions, and undernutrition is at critical levels. The emergency funding will be used to respond to the immediate needs of those affected. The floods in South Sudan are a timely reminder for urgent action on climate change, in view also of the COP26 conference: the effects of climate change are real, and they are here – and vulnerable populations suffer the repercussions.”
According to the EU, the emergency humanitarian funding will be channelled through its humanitarian partner, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and will be used to provide vulnerable populations with life-saving water and sanitation, shelter and other essential non-food items.
On October 21, the United Nations called on the international community to urgently assist South Sudanese affected by floods, stating that over 750,000 people have been affected by the worst floods to hit the country in decades.
(ST)