By THE AFRICA BAZAAR Staff Writer
April 25, 2015

The United States said it plans to give more than $16 million in new humanitarian assistance for nutrition, shelter, water and health services for South Sudanese people suffering from the ongoing effects of the conflict that began in South Sudan in December 2013.

The new funding will provide urgent healthcare and nutrition needs for children and other people suffering from hunger as a result of the conflict that started shortly following the nation’s independence from Sudan. It will also provide much-needed shelter and health services, and water, sanitation and hygiene assistance
 
This funding also underscored the U.S’ long-standing commitment to the people of South Sudan as it continued to urge South Sudan’s leaders to make the compromises needed to reach peaceful agreement that will end the conflict for the sake of the people of South Sudan, while also calling on the international community to assist in alleviating South Sudanese suffering and find an end to the crisis.

With this new funding, the total U.S’s. emergency assistance for South Sudan has now exceeded $1 billion since the start of the crisis in December 2013.

According to the USAID-funded Famine Early Warning Systems Network, it is estimated that nearly 3 million people currently face extreme hunger in South Sudan due to the conflict and this number will reach 3.5 million by June 2015.

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has invested an additional $700 million in long-term assistance helping the South Sudanese people in areas such as education, health, democracy and governance, agriculture and conflict mitigation.
 
In addition to the new assistance, the U.S. Government directly helps South Sudanese people withstand the catastrophic effects of conflict and build foundations for a peaceful future through long-term assistance in health, education, agriculture, livelihoods and other critical areas.
 

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