Hon. Albino Atak, the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs - Credit: Moses Awan/Eye Radio - April 26, 2023

At least nine million people will need humanitarian assistance in South Sudan next year due to climate change, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management has said.

Minister Albino Atak says the government and its partners now target to assist at least six million people in 2024 who have been affected by the impacts of climate change.

He says the projected humanitarian assistance needs an amount of $1.8 billion to support the needy population next year.

According to Atak, last year, the government with its partners sought 1.7 billion dollars but it only obtained 53% of the total amount needed.

This shortage in funding he says, will keep the situation the same.

“The number of people that will still need a lot of humanitarian support is nine million people next year,” Hon. Atak said during Eye Radio’s Sundown live discussion on Tuesday.

“The Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs plus our partners are now targeting at least six million people in 2024 to be assisted and that needs more than $1.8 billion funding,” he said.

“Last year, we were looking for $1.7 billion and the funding we got together with the humanitarian partners was 53% that we got in, which means that we did not get 47%. The same situation will continue, this is the climate change impact on our people”.

The Minister also says the ongoing crisis in Sudan has added another burden to the already dire humanitarian situation in South Sudan.

He says up to 24th December, at least 456,974 individuals have arrived in South Sudan since the conflict began in April this year.

Atak discloses that about 80% of the number are South Sudanese and the other percentage represents the Sudanese and other nationalities.

He says, the government and partners are exerting efforts to deliver services to the IDPs and refugees but decries insufficient support.

The Minister says he is now dialoguing with donors and friends of South Sudan to help deliver a helping hand in supporting those fleeing the conflict in Sudan.

“Another problem is that the crisis in Sudan has added another burden to a humanitarian situation that is already dire in South Sudan. All of us are now exerting a lot of effort to deliver services to these people,” Minister Atak said.

“We are now dialoguing with our donors, and those who have a relationship with South Sudan, we are also approaching them so that they also extend some hands to support this humanitarian situation in the country,” he said.

“I want to say that, the humanitarian situation needs a lot of effort from the government of South Sudan and this is what we are doing in the ministry and from our partners we are thankful for what they are doing because all of them now are on the ground helping our people”.