The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, and partners on Thursday appealed
for $1.4 billion this year to support more than two
million South Sudanese refugees in five African countries and
local communities hosting them.
Since the start of the conflict in South Sudan over 10 years ago,
growing humanitarian needs compounded by dire food shortages,
continued insecurity, and the impacts of climate change, have
kept refugees in exile and prompted new displacement.
Four consecutive years of flooding have also destroyed homes and
livelihoods, sparking further cross-border movements.
Scattered across the region
South Sudan remains Africa's largest refugee
crisis, UNHCR said.
While the war in neighbouring Sudan has forced nearly 200,000
South Sudanese to relocate to safer areas within the country, and
hundreds of thousands of others to return to their homeland
prematurely, over two million across the region remain in need of
international protection.
The South Sudan
Regional Refugee Response Plan will meet the needs
of 2.3 million citizens now living in the Democratic Republic of
the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan and Uganda.
A similar number of people in local communities in the five
countries will benefit from services and support.
“While significant strides and commendable efforts have been made
over the last 10 years by partners, this year's Regional Refugee
Response Plan builds on the incremental progress made and
demonstrates that if given the resources, humanitarian aid
combined with investments in resilience - for both refugees and
the host communities that welcomed them - will
facilitate longer term solutions,” said Mamadou
Dian Balde, UNHCR's Regional Director for the East and Horn of
Africa and Great Lakes region.
Protection and response
The regional refugee plan complements a humanitarian appeal
launched earlier this year, aimed at reaching 5.9
million people in South Sudan.
Humanitarian partners will build on gains already made with host
Governments and regional bodies to improve the protection
environment for refugees and asylum-seekers through enhanced
access to asylum and civil documentation.
The plan also aims to support efficient delivery of humanitarian
assistance and protection services, including to prevent and
respond to gender-based violence and sexual exploitation.
Mental health a priority
The inclusion of refugees and asylum-seekers in national
healthcare, education and other systems, as well as initiatives
to boost self-reliance through employment opportunities, are at
the heart of the plan.
Priority will also be given to mental health,
particularly among young South Sudanese refugees, as many are
losing hope for the future due to limited
opportunities.
This year's plan also includes a new element focused on
partnerships and increased financing to enable both displaced
people and host communities to become more climate
resilient.
