WFP secures 5.9 mln USD for scaling up air operations in South Sudan

Juba (South Sudan), September 8: The World Food Programme (WFP) said Tuesday it has secured 5.9 million U.S. dollars to support humanitarian air operations in South Sudan.
The funds from the European Union will be used to support the United Nations Humanitarian Air Services (UNHAS) and the WFP-led Logistics Cluster, a mechanism designed to ensure efficient and effective emergency response, in South Sudan.
Matthew Hollingworth, WFP's country director in South Sudan, said UNHAS and the Logistics Cluster allow humanitarian organizations to reach the most remote areas of South Sudan, ensuring that assistance reaches those who need it most.
"This would not be possible without the support from donors like the European Union," Hollingworth said in a statement issued in Juba, capital of South Sudan.
The EU contribution will help UNHAS to provide air transport services to 30,000 passengers and to transport 480 metric tons of light cargo in support of 290 humanitarian organizations across the country.
More than 8 million people need urgent humanitarian assistance after record floods, conflict and COVID-19 have worsened the situation, following earlier years of conflict, the UN said.
WFP said UNHAS remains the only common air service available for the entire humanitarian community in the country.
"Due to poor infrastructure, seasonal challenges, demographic constraints, and aviation gaps, the humanitarian community relies heavily on the WFP-run air service to safely reach areas of operation," WFP said, noting the funding will also support the Logistics Cluster, which serves as a coordination body that provides logistics support to the humanitarian community through the facilitation of key logistical services.
"These services include transportation of humanitarian cargo, warehousing, operational information management, logistics preparedness and representation at decision-making forums," WFP said.
South Sudan is currently facing its highest levels of food insecurity since the country declared independence ten years ago, with 60 percent of the population increasingly hungry and 1.4 million children and 500,000 pregnant and lactating women malnourished, according to the UN.
Source: Xinhua