A mother returns home after fetching dirty water from the nearby stream. Reports show that a small number of households have access to clean drinking water in South Sudan | Credit | Courtesy Photo: GlobalGiving

Aid agencies in South Sudan will receive $11 million for the provision of clean water, shelter, and food for people in need.

The money is from the Central Emergency Response Fund which allocated $135 million to boost humanitarian operations in 12 countries in Africa, the Americas and the Middle East.

The funds will address the humanitarian imbalance and make sure critical aid work can continue in the countries hit by famine and the threat of famine, according to the Emergency Relief Coordinator Mark Lowcock.

“Famine is rearing its ugly head in several places right now, so there is no time to waste,” Lowcock said in a statement.

“This CERF allocation could mean the difference between life and death for millions of people who rely on aid to survive. It will provide essentials such as clean water, shelter and food for the people who need it most, at their time of greatest need.

In its monthly snapshot report of May 2021, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs stated that the last month has been characterized by high levels of food insecurity, violence, and cattle raids in South Sudan.

It notes that 8.3 million people are still in need of food, while $7.2 million others will remain acutely food insecure from April to July 2021.

The 135-million-dollar allocation announced yesterday in New York will be shared among relief organizations in Syria ($20 million); the Democratic Republic of the Congo ($20 million); and Ethiopia, with a focus on Tigray ($13 million).

Aid operations in Afghanistan, Nigeria and South Sudan will each receive $11 million.

Some of the funding will also go to Madagascar ($8 million); Venezuela ($7 million); Chad ($7 million); Burkina Faso ($7 million); Cameroon ($5 million); and Mozambique ($5 million).

The UN statement seen by Eye Radio also disclosed that a further 10 million U.S dollars will be directed to a range of projects that focus on programming for persons with disabilities.