US announces N42.5bn assistance to Sudan

U.S. Secretary of State, Mr John Kerry, on Monday announced his government’s additional humanitarian assistance of about N42.5 billion ($138 million) to South Sudanese people.

Kerry said in statement that the assistance was meant to help South Sudanese people, who had in the last three years suffered from “senseless and brutal fighting.’’

Kerry made the announcement after his meeting with Regional Foreign Ministers in Nairobi on Monday.

“Forty per cent of the population now faces life-threatening hunger, with some people on the brink of starvation.

“Food security conditions are at their worst since South Sudan gained independence in 2011.

“The $138 million additional humanitarian assistance is to help the South Sudanese people, who have suffered through almost three years of senseless, brutal fighting.

“The U.S stands by the people of South Sudan and remains the single largest donor of humanitarian assistance, providing more than $1.7
billion since the conflict began in December 2013,’’ Kerry said.

He said that the additional fund, provided by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), include about 58,000 metric tons of food aid and specialty nutrition products for the people.

He also said that the fund would be used in providing health and nutrition services, safe drinking water, hygiene supplies, treatment and prevention of cholera outbreak in the communities.

recall that at the celebration of World Humanitarian Day last week, United Nations statistics revealed that 90,000 South Sudanese had fled to Sudan to seek refuge.

UN also disclosed that over $11 billion had been spent in the last 13 years on Humanitarian assistance in Africa in the last 13 years.o

By Fashoro Olufela (NAN)