South Sudan’s rebel leader Riek Machar talks on the phone in his field office in a rebel-controlled territory in Jonglei State, South Sudan, February 1, 2014.
The United Nations will convene a meeting on the deteriorating humanitarian situation in South Sudan, a senior UN official said.
David Shearer, the head of UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), told reports on Thursday that the UN meeting next week would assess the current humanitarian situation in the country.
“The first meeting on Wednesday, the 20th, will assess the current humanitarian situation in the country. The objective of this meeting is to draw attention to the humanitarian crisis in South Sudan and to mobilize international support to meet urgent humanitarian needs,” he said.
The UN Office for Humanitarian Affairs, according to Shearer, said the number of people displaced in South Sudan rose to nearly four million during the first half of this year.
The top UN official pointed out the report released includes 1.9 million who have been internally displaced and two million who have fled to neighbouring countries, one million in Uganda alone.
The UN report also said the total number of people in real need of aid in South Sudan had risen to 7.6 million.
Shearer said the second meeting will consider the revitalization of the political process in South Sudan. He predicted that the international community will agree to reach a political settlement and support the revitalization of the peace process.
“I anticipate that discussions will centre on plans for the upcoming IGAD-led High-Level Revitalization Forum…..the important role it can play to update the Peace Agreement and the steps needed to create the conditions for national elections in South Sudan,” he said.
Radio Tamazuj
