Juba, South Sudan,
June 22, 2021 – At least 150,000 people in South Sudan could get relieved from hunger after the Government of Germany through the World Food Programme donated over $6 million in food aid.
The donation, according to WFP, will benefit the population facing a severe food crisis, especially those with children under the age of five. Lactating mothers in areas with food scarcity will equally benefit from the fund.
WFP says the donation comes at a critical time when funding was limited as food worsening food crisis in the country overwhelms humanitarian budgets.
Mathew Hollingworth, WFP Country Director welcomed the donation saying the contribution will target vulnerable people in the most affected areas in the country.
“We are grateful to Germany and its people for supporting South Sudan at this critical time when multiple crises and conflict mean more and more people cannot support themselves and their families,” said Hollingworth. “The World Food Programme relies on predictable funding from donors to support vulnerable families who need food assistance to survive.”
In 2020, the WFP gave food and nutrition assistance to over five million people across the country. The funding was also from Germany.
Head of Cooperation of the German Embassy in South Sudan, Jinika Walter commended the WFP for its commitment to operating in the most challenging environments to save the life of the vulnerable people in the country.
“Germany hopes that the additional funding will contribute to mitigating the suffering of vulnerable people on the brink of starvation at a time when more South Sudanese than ever before are in need of humanitarian assistance,” said Walter.
“We commend WFP for its continuous efforts to operate in such a challenging environment to improve the lives of South Sudanese families,” he added.
Ten years after gaining independence, South Sudan is experiencing its worst humanitarian crisis with more than 7 million people–60 percent of the population–facing acute food insecurity and 1.4 million children under five years of age, and half a million pregnant and breastfeeding women expected to suffer from acute malnutrition.
The Government of the Federal Republic of Germany is a long-standing partner of WFP and has supported WFP’s work in South Sudan since 2011.
