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Finance Minister Hon. Dier Tong Ngor And WFP Country Director
Mary Ellen McGroarty |
The government of South Sudan contributed a total of
$15 Million Dollars ‘fifteen million dollars’ to the World Food Program ‘WFP’. The
money was to be used to tackle and respond to emergency situations that might
or is currently occurring in South Sudan.
The director of World Food Program, Mrs. Mary Ellen
McGroarty made the announcement shortly after a signing a Memorandum of
Understanding with the government of South Sudan in Juba on Wednesday.
Hon. Dier Tong Ngor, National Minister of Finance
while addressing the media said that, part of the money allocated to the World
Food Program was to help the South Sudanese who are fleeing the current
violence in Sudan.
“Instead of us contributing $10
million, we agreed that 15 million will be implemented through the World Food
Program. So out of the $114 million that we received from the IMF under the
Food Shock Window Facility, we allocated 15 million to World Food. This event
is timely and the Situation that is happening at the border cannot wait. After
the signing of this agreement, we will immediately disburse that amount,” Hon.
Dier said.
The National Minister Of Finance
further said that, the $15 Million was a commitment that was pledged by the
government of South Sudan during the UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY last year.
“The signing of today has a long
historical background. Last year when our vice president Hussein Abdelbaggi
addressed the UN General Assembly, he made a contribution on behalf of our
government that South Sudan will contribute an amount of $10 million US Dollars
to the work of the World Food Program and that was a recognition of the great
service that the World Food has been providing to our people. When we were
negotiation with IMF the Food Shock Window, we made sure that in the
implementation of the resources that were given to us, that we will make an
allocation first to meet our commitment that we pledged during the UN General
Assembly,” Hon. Dier said.
World Food Country Director Mrs. Mary
Ellen McGroarty while speaking to the media also said that, the initiative by
the government of South Sudan to contribute money to the World Food Program
will help address some of the food insecurity in South Sudan.
“This contribution from the government
of South Sudan to WFP will help us to provide lifesaving food assistance,
nutrition assistance to over 265,000 people. We will be able to do that by
giving food packages or stimulating the local economy where markets are working
to be able to get cash assistance,” Director McGroarty said.
“It will also give us much-needed
injection into our school meals program. We all know children are the future of
our country and anything that we can do to keep young children in school is so
critical,” Director McGroarty said.
World Food Program Director Mary Ellen
McGroarty further said that, the onset of the rainy season in the country has
left many communities lacking food.
“It is also the beginning of the lean
season and it is also the beginning of the rainy season when the food situation
for many communities in South Sudan gets more difficult,” Director McGroarty
said.
According to International Rescue
Committee ‘IRC’ “Following
intense conflict in Sudan, more than
50,000 people are estimated to have fled to South Sudan since the fighting began. People are arriving traumatised and with very
little provisions. The IRC is providing protection and health services to
displaced people in Maban, Jamjang and NBeG.” IRC.org
World Food Program ‘WFP’,
They bring life-saving relief
in emergencies and use food assistance to build peace, stability and prosperity
for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.
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