US Ambassador J Adler lifts a carton of high-energy biscuits meant for returnees and refugees from Sudan/Courtesy Photo

The United States government has flown to Juba an emergency supply of high-energy biscuits worth $ 30 million for WFP’s humanitarian response to people fleeing across South Sudan’s border from Sudan.

The 40.5 metric tons of high-energy biscuits from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) will support 45,000 new arrivals of people fleeing the conflict in Sudan at the reception centers across the country’s border areas of Renk, Aweil, Bentiu, and Abyei and those transiting to their final destinations.

“I’m immensely proud of our partnership with the WFP to help people in need in South Sudan and around the world and it’s a moment like this that the humanitarian crisis caused by the war in Sudan where USAID’s work is at its greatest, ” said Michael J. Adler, US Ambassador to South Sudan.

H further said, “The commodities we received today, 25, July constitute just a fraction of the additional resources the US government is providing to South Sudan alone to support refugees and returnees fleeing the conflict in Sudan.”

On her part, WFP’s Representative to South Sudan, Mary Ellen Mc Groarty thanked the US government for its support and strong partnership with the agency to help the returnees and refugees.

“I really want to thank you the Ambassador for this contribution. The US government is WPF’s strongest partner in South Sudan, and it’s a strong partner for the people of South Sudan,” she said.

Mc Groarty said the thousand of civilians arriving from Sudan comes at a time South Sudan is already burdened with dire humanitarian needs with over 9 million people food insecure and over 7 million on the verge of famine.

She described the conflict in Sudan as a tragic ongoing event as the war has forced close to 200, 000 to cross to South Sudan

“I think we can all agree that the events in Sudan are absolutely tragic and we are seeing her in South Sudan where 190, 000 have already arrived in places like Renk. Many of these people are South Sudanese returning home. ”

According to her, “The biscuits are going to help us give them a little bit of support on that journey home as we try to roll out food and nutrition assistance both at the border and their places of return.”

The latest donation from the US government brings US’s contribution to WFP to record more than 300 million dollars in humanitarian assistance this year.