DUBAI (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 18th October, 2019) The World Food Programme (WFP) still has to largely rely on airdrops to deliver humanitarian aid to those in need in South Sudan despite the peace deal in place, Director of WFP UAE Mageed Yahia told Sputnik.
According to recent UN estimates, roughly half of South Sudan's population � some 6.35 million people � are currently in need of food and nutritional support, with an estimated 10,000 facing famine-like conditions in which starvation, death and severe malnutrition are present.
"Perhaps this is the only operation there where we still rely on airdrops as we cannot reach the population because of the road conditions, the weather in particular during the rainy season, because of security. We still use airdrops in South Sudan... The large number of population still needs our assistance. However this country, of course, has come upfront in 2013, the situation was really worse than what we are talking of today," Yahia, who also serves as the representative to the Gulf Cooperation Council region, said when asked about the WFP's efforts in the African country.
The WFP UAE director went on to say that even though the peace agreement helped facilitate the provision of humanitarian assistance, the deal was "fragile" and needed the support of the global community.
When asked what measures were needed to be taken in order to resolve the humanitarian crisis, Yahia referred to "building on the peace that already started, constructing roads, using the Nile for delivery by barge."
At the same time, the WFP and the UAE are in discussions on expanding their partnership in terms of Abu Dhabi's financial contribution to the organization's efforts while also discussing potential joint projects.
In September 2018, South Sudan's president, Salva Kiir, signed a power-sharing deal with rebel leader Riek Machar to end the nation's five-year civil war. Late last month, South Sudanese First Vice-President Taban Deng Gai told the UN General Assembly that his country was finally moving toward lasting peace and stability.
The International Committee of the Red Cross has expressed its concerns over the fact that the situation in South Sudan not only has not improved since concluding a peace deal last year but even worsened in terms of violence and starvation among other pervading humanitarian terrors.
