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Hunger crisis prompts £250,000 funding from Scottish Government.

Charities responding to the growing food emergency in South Sudan are to be supported by £250,000 from the Scottish Government.

Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund (SCIAF) and Christian Aid will receive funds from the Humanitarian Emergency Fund (HEF) for food distribution in the region, which is facing famine following the combined impact of conflict, the COVID-19 pandemic, ebola, locusts and floods.

The HEF funding will allow SCIAF to deliver emergency food, seed kits, field crops and agricultural training to people with disabilities, while Christian Aid will distribute funds for food, agricultural tools, fishing kits and seeds.

Both SCIAF and Christian Aid will also use the funds to provide advice on COVID awareness and prevention.

International Development Minister Jenny Gilruth recently said:

“The situation in South Sudan is a desperate one, and we stand ready to act when confronted with such a pressing emergency.

“We know that more than 7 million people, more than half the population, face hunger – and this is where the Humanitarian Emergency Fund can play a part.

“The Scottish Government is committed to fulfilling its role as a responsible and compassionate global citizen and this aid will provide essential help to those in desperate need.”

SCIAF Chief Executive Alistair Dutton recently said:

“We are proud to be a part of the Scottish Government’s Humanitarian Emergency Fund.

“With this funding, we will help people with disabilities in South Sudan receive the emergency food they desperately need. We are working with our local partners to provide vital seed kits and field crops, alongside agricultural training, to help families survive this crisis and build a better future.”

Head of Christian Aid Scotland Sally Foster-Fulton recently said:

“Thanks to the Scottish Government’s Humanitarian Emergency Fund, our partners in South Sudan will be able to support people who have reached a catastrophic level of hunger caused by the worst flooding in 60 years.

“We want to ensure that people are fed today – and tomorrow. Our team on the ground will distribute cash to the most vulnerable: elderly people, those with disabilities and to new mothers. They will also provide seeds and fishing kits to help families replant fields and find new food sources.”

Background

The Humanitarian Emergency Fund provides aid in the aftermath of a crisis. 

The HEF panel is made up of eight leading humanitarian aid organisations in Scotland who advise and access the fund: Mercy Corps, Oxfam, British Red Cross, Islamic Relief, SCIAF, Christian Aid, Tearfund and Save the Children.

Recent HEF funding for humanitarian emergencies has included responses to crisis situations in Afghanistan, Niger, Beirut and Ethiopia.