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South Sudan

QRCS completes 187-tonne food aid distribution for famine-affected population in South Sudan [EN/AR]

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January 21st, 2017 ― Doha: Qatar Red Crescent Society's (QRCS) relief team in South Sudan has completed the distribution of 187 tons of food supplies to 8,000 victims of famine in the Unity State. The $300,000 project was conducted in partnership with Kuwait Red Crescent Society (KRCS) and the World Food Programme (WFP).

Four batches of maize and cereals were airdropped by United Nations aircraft over the target inaccessible districts, where the team collected and distributed them to the beneficiaries. During the handover ceremony at WFP's district warehouse in Juba, a press conference was attended by H.E. Hussein Maar Nyuot, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Simon Cammelbeeck, Deputy Country Director, WFP, Hassan Al-Abbassi, QRCS representative, and Jassem Qanbar, KRCS representative.

A presentation was given about WFP's activities in South Sudan, and how QRCS and KRCS can utilize its resources to facilitate their humanitarian operations.

The distributions were happily welcomed by the beneficiaries and community leaders, who thanked Qatar and Kuwait for their noble initiative to send this much-needed food aid.

The project comes in response to the several humanitarian appeals issued by the South Sudan Red Cross to save thousands of lives at risk of starvation. More than 100,000 people are facing a widespread famine in several parts of the country, and 270,000 children already suffer severe malnutrition.

QRCS's team held a meeting with officials of the South Sudan Red Cross, the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), to discuss the workflow of joint humanitarian operations there.

They also visited WFP's therapeutic nutrition center in Juba, which takes care of malnourished children, mothers, and pregnant women.

Another visit was made to one of WFP's 22 centers implementing a food security programme for vulnerable urban populations of Juba. Through these centers, vulnerable families receive cash transfers to purchase their food needs, as well as community education sessions about nutrition, hygiene, food security, and livelihood.