JUBA, South Sudan

The UN refugee agency UNHCR and 108 humanitarian and development partners are appealing for $1.3 billion to protect and assist 2.2 million South Sudanese refugees in the region this year.

The funds will go towards supporting South Sudanese refugees and their local host communities in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan, and Uganda, said UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) spokesperson Shabia Mantoo in a press briefing on Tuesday at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.

Mantoo said that the appeal comes amid a worsening economic outlook across the region as the long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the ripple effects of the war in Ukraine have pushed up fuel and food prices and increased unemployment.

During the launching of the South Sudan Refugee Response Plan on Tuesday, UNHCR urged the international community to scale up support for the millions of refugees who are unable to return home as their country continues to face a fragile peace and security environment marked by cycles of sporadic violence, and the impacts of an unfolding climate crisis.

According to Mantoo, this support will be crucial in meeting refugees’ most immediate needs in host countries, including shelter, education, and health and food assistance.

“With women and children comprising 80% of all South Sudanese refugees in the region, funding for programs to prevent and respond to gender-based violence need to be prioritized.”

She said: “We call for compassion and commitment to be extended to South Sudanese refugees and other people forced to flee around the world, and timely funding is crucial to ensure adequate support and protection for the most vulnerable.”