JUBA, 13 May 2014 – The Embassy of Japan and the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in South Sudan (UNHCR) are pleased to announce a contribution of USD 6.8 million from the Government of Japan towards UNHCR’s programme for refugees in Unity and Upper Nile states. This is part of an overall contribution of USD 66.8 million from the Government of Japan for UNHCR’s refugee and IDP response operations in 18 African countries.
In South Sudan, the Government of Japan has earmarked its contribution for life-saving interventions in the areas of health, nutrition, water, sanitation and hygiene, benefiting refugees residing in camps in Maban County (Upper Nile state) and Ajuong Thok camp (Unity state). The nearly 140,000 refugees hosted in those camps are from the Nuba Mountains and Blue Nile state in Sudan. Unity and Upper Nile states are, along with Jonglei, the worst affected by ongoing conflict and internal displacement.
“This grant is intended to enhance human security of refugees as well as to mitigate the effects on them of the conflict that has plagued South Sudan since 15 December last year. We are extremely concerned that the continuing fighting and resulting unprecedented internal displacement, could compromise the safety and welfare of Sudanese refugees,” said Mr. Takeshi Akamatsu, Ambassador of Japan to South Sudan.
Thanking the Ambassador for the timely contribution, UNHCR’s Representative in South Sudan, Cosmas Chanda reiterated the concern about the welfare of refugees in conflict-affected areas. “he said. “The present food crisis in Maban is a product of the insecurity that is hampering humanitarian operations,” he added.
“We are hopeful that improvements in the situation will make it possible to deliver rapidly adequate volumes of food to refugees and other vulnerable populations in Maban.”
Chanda noted that refugees are almost entirely dependent on external aid for their survival. “They lost everything. They were forced to abandon their homes, infirm relatives, livestock, granaries and farmland.” Chanda added that since last year, UNHCR and partners have adopted post-emergency sustainable programming approaches, including upgrading emergency structures to semi-permanent ones across all sectors. “This contribution from the Government of Japan will enable us to continue to upgrade services and infrastructure in health centers, drill new boreholes with solar pumps, and enhance our preventive community-based health interventions through the recruitment and training community health promoters, 50 in Ajong Thok camp, and 125 in the Maban camps.”
For more information, please contact:
Ms. Hisako Ishizaki, First Secretary, Embassy of Japan, hisako.ishizaki@mofa.go.jp tel: +211 (0)959 003 152
Ms. Terry Ongaro, Senior External Relations Officer, UNHCR, ongaro@unhcr.org, tel. +211 (0)927 770 040