UNHCR struggles to raise funds for S Sudan refugees

Amidst fresh gun fire in the world's youngest nation, refugee agency UNHCR has expressed concern over the shortage of funding for the South Sudanese refugee.

In a statement released today by the agency, of the $638m appeal this year, only 17% had been raised. This has since prompted the focus on emergency response and lifesaving activities at the expense of other critical interventions such as water sanitation, shelter, health and hygiene.

Speaking at the launch of a revised appeal of $701m in Nairobi, Ann Encontre, the regional refugee coordinator for the South Sudan situation explained that given the funding deficiencies, such critical interventions like child protection activities including education have been severely compromised. Children constitute 70% of the refugee population.

According to the statement, 23% of the requirements are for food amid concerns that 4.8 million South Sudanese are expected to face severe food shortages over the coming months.

The other requirements as per the revised appeal are for health and nutrition (13%), water, sanitation and hygiene (13%), refugee protection (12%), shelter and core relief items (10%), livelihoods and environmental protection (10%).

With fresh fighting in Juba that broke out this week, the number of South Sudanese refugees is expected to hit a one million mark in the region just this year.

According to Encontre, the overall planning figure had risen from 867,239 to 973,000 people, with countries like Sudan and Uganda having received between 70% and 90% of their planned population in just the first four months of the year.

South Sudan refugees are being hosted across the region with initial hosts Uganda(224,420), Sudan(231,638), Ethiopia(285,657) and Kenya(103,104) taking up the biggest percentage. The others are Central African Republic (10,454 refugees) and the Democratic Republic of Congo (11,966).

Encontre called on all armed parties to ensure safe passage for people fleeing fighting to seek safety and asylum. She noted that while the security situation in Juba has improved since the declaration of a ceasefire on July 11, there are disturbing reports of increasing tension and sporadic fighting in other parts of the country.

She also made a special appeal for children who are the worst affected by fighting in South Sudan with over half a million having been been forced to flee the country.

"They are supposed to be the generation of tomorrow, the generation that will lead and rebuild their country, but right now, they are suffering enormously. They have been deprived of a normal life. Many of them are in camps or in settlements outside their country or internal displacement sites inside South Sudan.

They cannot go to school, they do not have proper food, they cannot access healthcare. We are doing what we can to keep them in good health, but the challenges to cater for their needs are really enormous." Encontre said.

South Sudan currently ranks among the countries with the highest levels of conflict-induced population displacement globally. Nearly one in four of the South Sudan's citizens is displaced within its borders or in neighbouring countries. This has affected about 2.6 million people against a population that stood at 11.3 million in 2013.