The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and 123 partners are seeking $1.4 billion in support this year to meet the needs of 2.3 million South Sudanese refugees living in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Sudan and Uganda.
A similar number living in local communities in the five asylum countries will benefit from services and support provided through a Regional Refugee Response Plan.
The beginning of the conflict in South Sudan ten years ago has heralded growing humanitarian needs. Four consecutive years of flooding have also destroyed homes and livelihoods, triggering further cross-border movements.
Partners will build on gains already made with host governments and regional bodies to improve the protection environment for refugees and asylum-seekers. They will also make provisions for the prevention of and responses to gender-based violence and sexual exploitation.
At the heart of this year’s response plan is the inclusion of refugees and asylum-seekers in a national health plan. Mental health, particularly among young South Sudanese refugees, will also be prioritized.
Partnerships and increased financing are new elements in this year’s plan to enable displaced populations and host communities to become more climate resilient.
South Sudan is Africa’s largest refugee crisis. The war has forced about 200,000 South Sudanese people to relocate to safer areas within Sudan and hundreds of thousands of others to return to their country prematurely. Over 2 million remain in need of international protection in the region.
