Ministry of Health and AfDB sign grant for three projects. (Photo: MoF&P).

The government has signed a $16 million financing agreement with the African Development Bank (AfDB) for implementation of three projects including water and hygiene, floods response, and youth and women empowerment.

The grant will be channeled to World Food Program and UN Development Fund and will include support for youth and women through small and medium enterprises, and humanitarian assistance for flood-affected communities and refugees.

The Minister of Finance and Planning Dr. Marial Dongrin signed on behalf of the government and Themba Bhebhe signed on behalf of the African Development Bank.

WFP Resident Representative Dr. Mohamed Abchir, said the initiatives are significant in creating jobs, fostering entrepreneurship, and building resilience among South Sudanese youth and women.

He noted the impact of previous initiatives supported by the AfDB and emphasizes the importance of investing in local agriculture and job creation to reduce humanitarian needs.

“The objective of this job creation program using the small and medium enterprises is also to build the resilience of the population,” said Dr. Abchir.

“We see more and more program now coming through that window of resilience building and development which are really quite important here in South Sudan.”

“We’ve seen some of the impact and the results of previous programs supported by the African Development Bank and we are going to build on the results but also on the lessons learned from that previous support.”

The African Development Bank Country Manager, Themba Bhebhe, revealed that a future $10.6 million grant would go toward improving water and sanitation services, a critical need in Juba and other areas.

This project will be implemented by the South Sudan Urban Water Corporation to upgrade sanitation systems and ensure access to clean drinking water.

“Today we are signing three operations as my colleagues have said. The water and sanitation one is 10.6 million, the women and youth is about 5.4 million and about 500,000 grant which WFP would administer,” he explained.

“So this is about 16 million that we are signing today. But our plan, probably as you are aware Minister, for the first time the Bank has approved seven projects in one year.”

Bhebhe also announced the AfDB’s approval of a $200 million energy project, including a 300-kilometer transmission line to import electricity from Uganda.

This initiative aims to reduce South Sudan’s high electricity tariffs, which are among the highest in the region, and improve energy access.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs Albino Atak expressed gratitude to development partners for their response to the humanitarian crisis caused by floods and the influx of refugees from Sudan.

“This year, the floods have affected about 1.4 million people and displaced almost 400,000 people. And the effects of floods are still there up to now.”

“We are even struggling now to respond to them but also to respond to recovery. Recovery process is difficult. So with the presence of developmental partners I think we will also be able to put something for recovery.”

The projects are expected to enhance livelihoods, improve infrastructure, and provide much-needed support to vulnerable communities, marking a significant step forward in South Sudan’s journey toward resilience and sustainable development.