World Vision urges more funding for South Sudan as UN warns of insufficient aid

The UN has raised fresh concerns about the lack of humanitarian funding being given to projects in South Sudan.

Beset by fighting since December, more than one million people have already been displaced by the conflict, with over 800,000 of these forced to take refuge inside the country.

The UN has warned that only a quarter of its funding requirements for the first half of 2014 have so far been met, with urgent help needed to provide sufficient aid to desperate refugees.

World Vision currently operates extensively in South Sudan, providing emergency relief and establishing key water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) areas within camps. 

Humanitarian agencies have so far managed to provide around 250,000 people with WASH services, but the UN aims to increase this number to 2.6 million people by June, stressing that such services remain in need of much greater funding.

World Vision’s Johan Eldebo, is currently based in South Sudan’s capital, Juba and has outlined why the work of World Vision and others, in providing WASH services, is so critical:

“Without access to clean water and sanitation, families, and in particular children, are at great risk of disease from dirty water. As the rain season approaches and with it floods and more waterborne disease, it is critical that WASH services are provided to keep children safe and healthy.”

Recounting a recent visit to Upper Nile State, where much of the fighting has taken place, Johan also highlighted the fluidity of the current situation throughout South Sudan:

“The situation across the state is of grave concern to us. Not only are the humanitarian needs high due to a lack of food and water in many areas, but the ongoing fighting has caused significant displacement of civilians, increasing both their needs and the difficulty for us to reach them with aid. It is imperative that agencies, unhindered by the ongoing conflict, are able to rapidly reach families and children with much needed assistance.”

Hopes that the conflict could be brought to an end in April have suffered a major setback, with the recent postponement of peace talks. 

The UN has already estimated that 4.9 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance, but that number is expected to grow quickly as fighting continues.