South Sudan: More than $1 billion still needed (GALLERY)
Theresa Nyerik and her husband have seven children. They live in a small shelter made of plastic sheets stretched over bamboo poles, in a muddy camp inside a UN base in Juba, the capital of South Sudan. The camp sprang up in mid-December, when fighting broke out in Juba and quickly spread to other parts of the country. Within days, tens of thousands of people had sought refuge inside UN bases. Many more fled into the bush, to islands, or across rivers – anywhere where they thought they would be safe.
Millions at risk
More than six months on from the start of the conflict, more than 1.4 million people are still displaced. The rainy season has started, turning camps into fields of mud. Few people in conflict areas have been able to plant, and the risk of famine is high.
Over $1 billion urgently needed
On 14 June, aid agencies will release their new plan to help close to 4 million people. The cost of this massive operation is US$1.8 billion for 2014, of which $1.06 billion is still needed. If these resources are not mobilized, the consequences will be stark.