UK pledges $3.7 million for South Sudanese refugees

“A young South Sudanese refugee cooks food at a camp in northern Uganda. Photo: UNHCR/Will Swanson
“A young South Sudanese refugee cooks food at a camp in northern Uganda. Photo: UNHCR/Will Swanson

London/Khartoum, December 22, 2016 (SSNA) — The United Kingdom government has donated US$3.7 million to the UN World Food Program (WFP) to help South Sudanese refugees who are living in Sudan.

Britain says it is concerned about refugee crisis affecting vulnerable South Sudanese women and children, adding the UK is committed to help the people of the young nation displaced by the ongoing civil war.

“The UK Government remains concerned about the South Sudanese refugee crisis and the vulnerable women and children who are affected by food insecurity and displacement. We are committed to responding and assisting refugees in Sudan,” Head of the UK Department for International Development Dr. Christopher Pycroft said.

“To date, the UK Government has contributed nearly £16 million to the refugee response. We will continue to monitor the ongoing crisis and provide support as needed,” he added.

In response, WFP Sudan Representative and Country Director Matthew Hollingworth thanks Britain for its financial contribution, saying the money will help his organization feed South Sudanese refugees.

“We are grateful to the UK for supporting our operations in Sudan, thus enabling us to tailor our response to the needs of the people we assist. This particular contribution will help ensure that the South Sudanese refugees who have come to Sudan will not go hungry,” Hollingworth said.

On Monday, the United Nations humanitarian chief told the 15-member Council that 6.1 million South Sudanese need humanitarian assistance and that the number of people in need of aid will rise to between 20 to 30 per cent in 2017.

There are currently at least 164,000 South Sudanese refugees in Sudan, according to recent UN estimates.

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