March 11, 2021(Nyamilepedia) — National and International Non-Governmental Organizations based in South Sudan have pleaded with the UK government to reconsider budget cuts to vital international aid.
The UK government has recently reported 59 percent budget cuts to vital international aid. According to the Non-governmental organizations, South Sudan is at a pivotal point.
The NGOs pointed out that this is anchored on the recently integrated Food Security Phase Classification of “Famine Likely” and “Catastrophic” food insecurity at a number of locations across the country.
According to a press release dated March 11, 2021, over 60 percent of the population is projected to face crisis or worse levels of food insecurity.
It went on to point out that humanitarian assistance is paramount and it’s one of the only factors keeping scores of people from succumbing to malnutrition and death.
They further explained that the young nation was in dire need seeing a combination of flooding, displacement, and protracted sub-national violence have significantly worsened the situation.
“The sustained support of the international community is critical. As humanitarian, development, and peace building organizations working to support the people of South Sudan coming out of a painful civil war, we call on the UK Government to ensure South Sudan remains a funding priority,” the press release read in part.
The document in a bid to convince the economic giant went ahead to explain that there is little doubt that the budget cuts would have dire consequences.
“There is no doubt that the anticipated cuts will cost lives, and undermine significant, long-term progress made with UK funding to date – from saving lives with access to food and safe water, to reducing violence through support for locally-led peace building, and interventions to reduce gender-based violence. It is vital that the UK continues to invest in both humanitarian response and longer term resilience and integrates Disaster Risk Reduction in the country,” the document read.
The NGOs placed emphasis on the need for continued support for conflict prevention and peace building pressing that conflicts are closely linked with food insecurity. They noted that should the UK opt to step back, it would render a crushing blow to the people of South Sudan.
This move by the NGOs comes a day after a report concerning the disqualification of Reverend Ayok-Loewenberg, a trustee of an education charity in South Sudan, by the Charity Commission for England.
The Reverend was disqualified after a statutory inquiry proved that he and others could not account for huge sums of aid money they had withdrawn. The aid money had been sent from the UK and was intended to assist needy girls.
