The humanitarian crisis in southern Sudan is so precarious that the government has decided to give 135 million in aid to the conflict-torn country.
The U.N. has officially declared a famine in parts of the country.
‘The situation is precarious. It is urgent to save lives. Norway is therefore giving 135 million for relief efforts in southern Sudan’, said Foreign Minister Børge Brende of Høyre.
Armed conflict broke out in the country in December 2013, and armed battles between government and opposition groups continue on a daily basis.
The U.N. estimated that 7.5 million people need humanitarian assistance, and of that number, around half are in critical need for food.
‘The Southern Sudanese population pays the price for the conflict. Sexual violence, physical abuse, and other human rights violations are occurring on a large scale.
The humanitarian crisis we are now seeing is largely man-made. We make this point in all conversations Norway has with the Sudanese parties’, said the Foreign Minister.
Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today
