US Secretary of State John Kerry has announced additional $138 million to the people of South Sudan to rescue the humanitarian situation.

This comes in a meeting held in Nairobi on Monday.

The meeting, attended by South Sudan government representatives, Kenyan government officials, and regional leaders, discussed the dire situation in South Sudan.

The meeting agreed to move forward with the deployment of a regional force.

Addressing the media in Nairobi, Mr Kerry emphasized that it has been made clear to the ministers that it’s not an intervention force but a protection force which will be supplementary to the security efforts of the government of South Sudan.

The funds will cater for food, water and shelter for civilians. The recent violence has affected hundreds of thousands of civilians, with some fleeing to the neighboring countries.

He, however, said such donations of American tax payers money will not continue indefinitely. He called on the leaders of South Sudan to embrace peace and put the interests of their people first.

Kerry further said the meeting agreed to move forward with the full implementation of the peace agreement.

Asked whether US would want to see Dr Riek return to Juba before deployment of protection force, Mr Kerry said it’s “up to” South Sudan leaders.

“It’s not up to the United States, it’s up to the leaders of South Sudan and the people of South Sudan, the political parties and the neighbors to weigh in on what is best or what is not best with respect to Machar,” he told the media.

“But I think it is quite clear that legally under the agreement, there is allowance for replacement and the transition of personnel, and that has been effected with the appointment of a new First Vice President.”