Islamic Relief is providing vital aid as South Sudan faces its first major humanitarian crisis since it was established as the world’s newest independent nation. Up to 7.3 million people are at risk of starvation.
Islamic Relief is providing vital assistance to thousands of people, including emergency shelter materials, clean water, sanitation, primary health care, hygiene kits and mosquito nets.
The root of the crisis is a violent six-month conflict that has killed tens of thousands of people and driven 1.3 million from their homes. Jonglei, Unity and Upper Nile states are worst affected.
Families have lost everything
Many of those displaced have lost everything they owned. Some have fled to neighbouring countries, while others are sheltering in over-crowded camps within South Sudan. The insanitary conditions in these makeshift camps have already caused outbreaks of severe communicable diseases such as malaria and acute watery diarrhoea, including over 154 cases of cholera.
Farming has been severely disrupted because people have been unable to harvest their crops or forced to abandon their land. The President of South Sudan has warned that famine could be just around the corner.
Islamic Relief is delivering emergency aid
Islamic Relief has been helping those affected by the conflict since the fighting broke out, in December 2013. We have provided essential medical supplies in the worst-hit areas, and improved primary health care and sanitation by building latrines and bathrooms.
We are supporting displaced communities by providing plastic sheeting and bamboo poles to build makeshift shelters, drilling wells in some places and supplying mosquito nets and hygiene kits. In addition, we are planning to scale up our distribution of food and other aid, in partnership with other organisations.
More than 10,000 vulnerable people have so far benefitted from our emergency response to the escalating crisis.
The next few weeks and months will be critical for the people of South Sudan – now is the time to act if we are help avert a widespread famine. Please continue to support Islamic Relief’s work in South Sudan and donate to our appeal.
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