South Sudan Crisis
About the Crisis
In South Sudan, more than 2.5 million people have fled their homes since fighting broke out in December 2013 . The most recent surge in violence has worsened the already dire humanitarian situation. Nearly 40 percent of the population now faces life-threatening hunger; in rural areas, people have resorted to eating water lilies and grass to survive. Conditions are at their worst since South Sudan gained independence in 2011.
As fighting rages on, many are stuck in overcrowded peacekeeping bases that were meant as temporary housing for those who initially fled when the conflict first erupted. Children are not able to go to school, families have been torn apart, and farmers cannot harvest crops. Health problems resulting from malnutrition and a lack of sanitation proliferate.
Compounding these dire circumstances, humanitarian workers have been killed or are missing, harassed, assaulted or expelled from the country. Food and other humanitarian supplies have been looted. Deliberate attacks on the men, women, and children who receive humanitarian assistance continue to worsen an already critical situation.
Despite these challenges, USAID and its partners are overcoming significant obstacles and working against all odds to reach those in need. Aid workers are navigating difficult terrain with canoes and tractors to deliver urgently needed medicines to people cut off by the fighting. Humanitarian organizations are deploying teams to quickly deliver aid in hard-to-reach areas, including food, safe drinking water, emergency medical care, critical nutrition, improved hygiene and sanitation, as well as emergency shelter materials and other vital relief supplies.
How You Can Help
When disasters occur anywhere in the world, Americans generously offer assistance to those in need. Decades of experience in disaster relief and recovery have shown that the best way to help people affected by disaster is to make cash donations to reputable relief and charitable organizations on the ground. These groups work closely with affected communities, and know what people need and how to strengthen recovery efforts.
Cash donations are the most efficient form of assistance. Unlike material donations, cash involves no transportation costs, shipping delays, or customs fees. It also enables relief organizations to spend more time providing aid by spending less time managing goods. Cash donations also allow relief supplies to be purchased in markets close to the disaster site, which stimulates the local economy, thereby boosting employment and generating cash flow to stimulate the local economy.
If you are considering making a monetary contribution to a relief organization, you can find detailed financial and programmatic information at GiveWell, Charity Navigator, Charity Watch, and the Better Business Bureau. The organizations listed below are experienced and are participating directly in relief efforts in South Sudan.
Organizations Responding to the Crisis in South Sudan*
* Disclaimer: The appearance of hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) of non-U.S.Government sites or the information, products, or services contained therein. USAID CIDI does not exercise editorial control over all of the information that you may find at these locations. Such links are provided consistent with the stated purpose of this website.
About USAID CIDI
USAID created the Center for International Disaster Information (CIDI) in 1988 one month after Hurricane Gilbert made landfall as a Category 5 storm that affected 10 countries. An outpouring of unsolicited donations took up space needed to stage and deliver life-saving relief supplies, and USAID and other responders spent valuable time managing unneeded clothing, expired medicine, and other non-critical items. USAID established the Center to educate the public about the advantages of giving monetary donations to relief organizations and the downside of donating unsolicited material goods www.cidi.org. USAID’s Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA) leads and coordinates the U.S. government’s humanitarian assistance efforts overseas, responding to an average of 65 disasters in more than 50 countries every year. Learn More About USAID/OFDA
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