$10m needed to aid flood affected children in S. Sudan: UNICEF
October 5, 2019 (JUBA) – At least $10 million is required to respond to the most immediate needs of children affected by floods in South Sudan, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said Tuesday.
“South Sudan was already one of the most dangerous countries to be a child, and now it got worse,” Ayoya said in a statement.
“The good news is that UNICEF was on the ground before the flood and could respond quickly. The actions we are taking today will determine for how long children will feel these floods after the water subsides,” he added.
About 90,000 children, UNICEF said, are out of school due to flooded classrooms, teachers displaced, and schools used as shelters.
“Not only are children missing out on their education, they also lack a safe space protecting them from exploitation and abuse,” it said.
Meanwhile, the UN agency said it is responding to the needs and was also the first organization to get essential supplies to a severely flooded Pibor in Jonglei, where boats have taken over for cars in the streets. 4.8 tons of life-saving supplies were delivered by air.
It, however, revealed plans to scale up response and reach some remote areas across Jonglei, Upper Nile, Unity, Warrap, Northern Bahr El Ghazal, Unity and Eastern Equatoria regions.
Nearly one million people in South Sudan have been affected by heavy flooding, according to the UN humanitarian affairs agency (UNOCHA).
(ST)