AfDB extends $43.8million grant to South Sudan
August 7, 2017 (KAMPALA) – The African Development Bank (AfDB) has released a $43.8m grant for South Sudan under the Bank’s ‘Say No To Famine – Short Term Regional Emergency Response Project’ (STRERP).
The AfDB signed a tripartite grant agreement with South Sudan and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) under its ‘Say No To Famine’ project.
IGAD will reportedly oversee the implementation of the project through an agency to be recruited in South Sudan. The agencies will work with government to put in place structures, systems and facilities that will enable them take on increasing responsibility for disaster management and delivery of humanitarian assistance.
The STRERP was approved by the Boards of Directors of the AfDB on 21 July 2017 and falls within the context of the bank’s “Say No To Famine” framework.
Under this framework, however, the bank plans to invest about US$ 1.1 billion as a coordinated response to its regional member countries that have been severely affected by prolonged drought periods and unstable food production.
Targeting 300,000 individuals in South Sudan, STRERP’s direct food, water, fodder and medical assistance will provide relief to meet the immediate hunger and malnutrition needs faced by communities affected by drought, conflicts and famine, AfDB said in a statement.
“It will also provide food for more able-bodied members of beneficiary households to enable them engage in restoration and creation of community assets that will assist the targeted communities in enhancing livelihoods and build resilience against future shocks,” it added.
The grants are reportedly geared towards providing emergency food assistance and medical aid to the most vulnerable populations in Somalia and South Sudan. In addition, the project includes activities to put in place the preliminary building blocks to strengthen links between the production, distribution and consumption hubs of the food systems in the affected regions.
The STRERP project, AfDB further stated, is also aligned with the bank’s Strategy for Addressing Fragility and Building Resilience in Africa (2014-2019), through its focus on strengthening relevant government institutions’ capacity to effectively plan, coordinate and implement disaster risk management and humanitarian responses.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Gabriel Negatu, AfDB Director General, Eastern Africa Regional Development and Business Delivery Office said, “We are delighted that through STRERP, we will provide immediate action to increase food security, boost household incomes, promote regional trade in food products and kick start community recovery, ultimately contributing to inclusive growth and resilience in Somalia and South Sudan.”
The project, he said, will strengthen capacities of relevant institutions such as the ministry and agriculture and forestry in South Sudan.
South Sudan has been in turmoil since December 2013 when political disagreements within its ruling party caused an outbreak of violence. Tens of thousands of people have been killed and more than 2 million displaced in the country’s worst ever violence since its independence in 2011.
(ST)