From Mid-December 2013, the country is engulfed in an internal armed conflict following an alleged “coup” attempt by anti-government forces, which has left thousands of people dead and more than 800, 000 others displaced from their homes.
This has exacerbated the already precarious humanitarian situation the country resulting from the floods, the David Yau Yau rebellion in Jonglei and the bloody inter-communal clashes.
“There is no humanitarian solution to the crisis. There is only a political solution,” Antonio Guterres, the head of UNHCR told the press in Juba on Tuesday.
“To the displaced persons, wherever they are, whoever they are and whoever is in control, everybody I asked of what they want, did not mention food, shelter, health and education but everybody mentioned peace.” According to Guterres, South Sudanese understand that without peace, nothing is possible and with peace everything is possible.
Ertharin Cousin, the WFP Executive Director, on her part said what South Sudanese are asking for is a hand-up, not handout and international community support.
“It is going to get more complicated in the coming weeks. All organisations are sort of resources; airdropping food triples the cost of operations,” Ms Cousin stressed.
“The people of South Sudan need the international community not to forget them. We need assistance so that we can feed our children, so that our children can go to school because we want a bright future for our children. We need the help of the world to tell our leaders we need peace.”
The sadly speaking WFP head also recalled a telling story of a woman who had to walk for 11 days with her children and husband before reaching a camp for safety.
“I met a mother today who told me that she and her husband walked for seven days but three days after, the conflict started again and they moved for four more days before they reached Nyal (refugee camp) where they are now,” she retorted.
The two leaders urged the South Sudanese leaders and the international community to come together and find a solution to the conflict in the new nation so that the citizens can embark on working for themselves.
“Our appeal to the international community is to understand that there is not only suffering in Syria and Ukraine but also in South Sudan. South Sudan needs the same solidarity,” the UNHCR commissioner appealed.
Guterres and Cousin during their three-day visit to South Sudan met displaced persons, partners, locals and political actors including President Salva Kiir.
An inter-agency appeal led by UNHCR is calling for $370m to fund refugee responses in Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan and Uganda while inside, South Sudan, WFP needs $224m to fill the deficit for just the next six months alone.