Italy donates €1 million for flood victims in South Sudan

December 14, 2019 (ADDIS ABABA) – The Italian Foreign Affairs ministry has donated €1 million to support humanitarian activities in response to the severe floods that affected parts of South Sudan.

Half of the contribution, it said in a statement, will be channelled through the World Food Programme (WFP), in the framework of WFP’s “Interim Country Strategic Plan (ICSP) 2018-2020”, and will be focused on food distribution in favour of the population displaced.

“The other half will be channelled through the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), in the framework of the urgent Appeal “South Sudan Emergency Floods Response”, and will be aimed at providing emergency shelter, water, sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) assistance as well as health assistance in favour of the population displaced by the abovementioned floods,” it added.

The donation, the ministry stressed, reaffirms Italy’s support to the South Sudan government and the population affected by the floods in the different counties in Eastern and Northern of the country.

According to United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), more than 908,000 people have been affected by heavy rainfall and subsequent flooding, of whom 620,000 needed humanitarian assistance.

Late last month, the South Sudanese President Salva Kiir declared a state of emergency in the flood-affected areas of the country.

(ST)