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South Sudan: $1.27 billion appeal to save lives, alleviate suffering and preposition aid before the rains
GENEVA – Aid agencies in South Sudan urgently require $1.27 billion to assist 3.2 million people suffering the humanitarian consequences of the crisis.
The conflict, which started on 15 December 2013, has led to devastating humanitarian consequences: the lives of millions of citizens have been shattered; almost 900,000 have left their homes; and thousands more have been hurt or wounded as a direct result of hostilities. Livelihoods have been lost, and people’s ability to move livestock to pasture, to fish or to hunt, has been severely compromised.
Key aid agencies have stayed in South Sudan to protect civilians and deliver aid. Humanitarians are scaling up the response to assist 3.2 million people up to June, based on rigorous prioritization. This includes relief for displaced people and host communities, refugees, and other communities whose lives and livelihoods are at immediate risk. Aid organizations plan to provide emergency relief, uphold people’s rights and strengthen livelihoods.
To do this, NGOs and UN agencies now require $1.27 billion to meet the most urgent needs until June, including vital pre-positioning of aid supplies for the whole year before the rainy season arrives.
“The priority is to save lives now, and ensure that we have food, medicine and other lifesaving supplies prepositioned in the field, in easy reach of aid agencies before the rains hit and the roads become impassable,” said the Humanitarian Coordinator in South Sudan, Toby Lanzer.
“We have revised the South Sudan Crisis Response Plan to reflect the deterioration of the humanitarian situation, to prioritize frontline relief and pre-positioning, and to take necessary actions now to prevent food security deteriorating later in the year,” continued Mr. Lanzer. “To achieve this, I ask the international donor community to stand with the people of South Sudan and the aid agencies working here to help them before the situation gets even worse.”
The Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) have disclosed details of their recent closed-door meeting with President Bola Tinubu, explaining that the engagement focused on strengthening Nigeria’s democratic process ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The clarification came amid speculation surrounding the meeting, which took place at the Presidential Villa in Abuja after leaders of several opposition parties attended an Iftar dinner hosted by the president earlier in the week.
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Speaking during a gathering hosted in Abuja by the SDP’s former presidential candidate, Adewole Adebayo on Friday, the party’s National Chairman, Prof. Sadiq Gombe, said the meeting with Tinubu followed an official invitation from the Presidency and lasted about an hour.
According to Gombe, the discussion centred on the need to strengthen Nigeria’s electoral laws and restore public confidence in the country’s electoral process ahead of the 2027 polls.
He explained that the meeting provided an opportunity for party leaders to remind the president of the importance of conducting transparent, free, and credible elections.
Gombe noted that democracy can only thrive when governments listen to the concerns of citizens and ensure electoral processes that guarantee fairness and accountability.
The SDP chairman also expressed concern over growing voter apathy, pointing to the low turnout recorded in the recent Area Council election in the Federal Capital Territory.
He said the Abuja Municipal Area Council election witnessed only about seven per cent voter turnout, which he described as a clear sign that many Nigerians are losing confidence in the electoral system.
Gombe urged the government and members of the National Assembly to take urgent steps to review electoral laws and rebuild public trust in Nigeria’s democracy.
Also speaking, the National Chairman of IPAC, Dr. Yusuf Dantalle, said political parties used the meeting to raise concerns about aspects of proposed electoral reforms, particularly issues related to indirect primaries and the mandatory electronic transmission of results.
Dantalle explained that the parties appealed to the president to use his influence to encourage legislative review where necessary, noting that reforms should strengthen, rather than complicate, the democratic process.
He expressed optimism that Tinubu would consider the concerns raised and support necessary amendments that would improve the electoral system.
The IPAC chairman also called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to strictly adhere to electoral guidelines as preparations for the next election cycle begin.
Earlier in his remarks, Adebayo cautioned political actors against turning the 2027 general elections into a do-or-die contest, stressing that the primary goal of democracy should be the progress and stability of Nigeria rather than personal political victories.
He urged leaders across political parties to encourage citizens to actively participate in the democratic process and ensure that elections are conducted peacefully and transparently.
President Bola Tinubu and Mr. Taiwo Oyedele during his nomination on Wednesday.
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