IOM appeals for new funding as South Sudan displacement crisis grows

GENEVA, Switzerland, February 5, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- IOM has revised its emergency funding appeal for the South Sudan crisis, reflecting expanded needs as the number of displaced civilians in the country continues to grow.

It is now seeking USD 63 million from the international community to provide urgent, lifesaving assistance in South Sudan through June 2014.

Since the outbreak of the crisis in December, an estimated 740,000 people have been displaced within South Sudan and over 123,000 people have fled to neighboring countries. Some 80,000 civilians, including a significant number of foreign nationals, are seeking protection in UN bases across the country.

The current crisis has occurred within a context of chronic poverty, characterized by inadequate basic services including water, sanitation and hygiene, health care, food insecurity and lack of livelihood opportunities.

South Sudan also continues to host over 230,000 Sudanese refugees, with the majority living in camps in Unity and Upper Nile states – two areas that have experienced significant violence and displacement over the past month.

“The scale of this crisis cannot be understated. It has put massive strain on a country already struggling to overcome some of the world's worst human development indicators,” said IOM South Sudan Chief of Mission David Derthick.

“IOM is rapidly expanding its operations to meet the needs of the growing numbers of displaced and vulnerable people throughout the country. This is why the continued support of the international community is vital,” he noted.

IOM has been a leading actor in the humanitarian response to the crisis in South Sudan. Since December, it has registered over 110,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs); distributed essential relief supplies including shelter materials, blankets and cooking kits to over 210,000 people; and conducted nearly 8,000 health consultations at medical clinics across the country.

In addition, it has provided safe water, constructed latrines and promoted good hygiene practices at IDP sites, and moved thousands of tons of humanitarian cargo by road and air.

The revised IOM appeal was developed in line with the South Sudan Humanitarian Country Team's Crisis Response Plan (CRP), and within the framework of the Cluster System. IOM is lead of the Emergency Shelter and Non-Food Items (ES/NFI), Camp Coordination and Camp Management (CCCM) and Multi-Sector Clusters, as well as a major actor in the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) and Health clusters.