WFP Thanks Australia For Helping Conflict-Affected South Sudanese In Sudan

The contribution of AUD 1.25 million (US$1.1 million) will be used to provide life-saving food assistance to South Sudanese who have been forced to flee to Sudan since conflict broke out in their country in December 2013.  The contribution will enable WFP to buy 600 metric tons of pulses, enough to feed 66,650 people for five months.  

“With this contribution to WFP, Australia is pleased to assist the efforts of South Sudan’s neighbours to provide protection and support to South Sudanese populations,” said Brett Young, Australia’s Chargé d’Affaires to Sudan. “We welcome the Government of Sudan’s efforts to register and document populations coming from South Sudan in order to ensure their access to humanitarian assistance.”

WFP is currently assisting close to 70,000 South Sudanese in Sudan’s North Kordofan, South Kordofan, West Kordofan and White Nile states.

“We are grateful to the Australian people and government for this timely contribution which will help us provide life-saving food assistance to the South Sudanese who have sought refuge in Sudan.  This contribution enhances our ongoing efforts to respond to their needs effectively and efficiently,” said WFP Sudan Country Director Adnan Khan.

In 2014, Australia contributed AUD 2 million (US$1.8 million) to WFP’s operations in Sudan, allowing the agency to buy food such as cereals and pulses which were distributed to vulnerable people in Sudan.  This was the first direct Australian contribution to WFP’s operations in Sudan since 2010.  

Under an agreement made with the governments of Sudan and South Sudan in July 2014, WFP is moving convoys of trucks and barges carrying food through Sudan to South Sudan for distribution to those affected by the ongoing civil war across the border.  To date, WFP Sudan has transported 2,800 metric tons of food assistance to South Sudan with a plan to move a further 21,000 metric tons within the coming three months.

Sudan remains one of WFP’s largest and most complex operations, providing food assistance to people suffering from conflict, displacement and chronic under-nourishment in Darfur, as well as in the east and border areas to the south.  

For the first half of 2015, WFP plans to assist 3.7 million people, 2.8 million of whom are in the conflict-affected region of Darfur and 890,000 are in central and eastern Sudan including people who fled conflict in South Sudan. Assistance is through general food distributions, food for training, food for work, school feeding and nutrition programmes to prevent and treat moderate acute malnutrition among women and children.

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WFP is the world's largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide, delivering food assistance in emergencies and working with communities to improve nutrition and build resilience. Each year, WFP assists some 80 million people in around 75 countries.

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For more information please contact (email address: firstname.lastname@wfp.org):

Amor Almagro, WFP/Khartoum, Tel. +249 183248001 (ext. 2114), Mob. +249 912174853

Abdulaziz Abdulmomin, WFP/Khartoum, Tel. +249 183248001 (ext. 2123), Mob. +249 912167055