In South Sudan, there is great unrest: millions of people are affected by violence, hunger, or the consequences of climate change. Amidst all this unrest, it is not possible to set up our multi-year village program, but working together with families can be done.

In the coming three years, Help a Child is leading the South Sudan Joint Response (SSJR). From 2024-2026, we are committed to helping people in South Sudan suffering from hunger, lack of clean drinking water, and living in unsafe situations with their families. We do this together with our partners from the Dutch Relief Alliance: Care, Dorcas, Plan International, Save the Children, Tearfund and War Child Holland, and with South Sudanese organizations Across, ADA, Aid Link, CEF, Coalition for Humanity, SAADO, UNIDOR, and WOCO. A great opportunity to work together for a better future for children in South Sudan!

517,932 people
Within the SSJR, Help a Child will mainly be active in the regions of Pibor and Tonj North, but humanitarian assistance will also be provided in Melut, Malakal, Akobo, Rubkona, Mayendit, and Abyei. The goal is to reach 517,932 people with this assistance over three years. Help a Child focuses on the protection and education of young children. Other organizations will focus on food security and livelihoods, water supply, hygiene, and food for children and pregnant women.

Strong people
In the areas where we work, people especially want to get to work themselves. Something that fits well with the approach of Help a Child. Sonja, humanitarian expert in South Sudan, says: “In 2011, the country became independent, but since then, there have also been countless internal conflicts resulting in millions of refugees and poverty. I see that people carry traumas with them. And I see strong people. A population that does not give up, is proud of the country, and does not want to remain dependent on external aid. (…) Restoring that dignity: that is the impact of our work, and that’s what I am committed to.”

[button_primary link=”http://dev.helpachild.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/02_Digitaal_SSJR-one-pager-incl-targets.pdf”]SSJR Information Leaflet[/button_primary]

Due to heavy rainfall, 2.4 million people in Somalia have become victims of flooding. Therefore, Help a Child provides emergency assistance in the areas around Kismayo and Baardheere for the next six months.

From October to December, Somalia experiences its rainy season. Intense rainfall caused several rivers to overflow, leading to flooding in parts of Somalia. In Baardheere, 42,236 people fled their homes, and in Kismayo 62,605. In total, more than 2.4 million people have been affected by the severe weather and subsequent floods.

Humanitarian crisis
The humanitarian crisis among the affected people is severe: hospitals are damaged, there is a significant shortage of medicines, and medical assistance is limited. Most refugees end up in camps with makeshift shelters, lacking access to basic necessities such as clean water and other hygiene facilities.

Assistance and training
In collaboration with the Dutch Relief Alliance, Help a Child takes action. Over the next six months, we will provide emergency assistance in the areas of health and hygiene. This assistance focuses on vulnerable groups such as (pregnant) women, mothers, and children under the age of five. We involve village communities in providing this assistance. Together with village elders and (youth) leaders, decisions are made on how and from where aid should be delivered. Additionally, we provide training on WASH: water, sanitation facilities, and hygiene.

Climate change
Just six months ago, Somalia was facing the worst drought in forty years. The significant shift now illustrates the impact of climate change on countries like Somalia. Help a Child continues to advocate for children and families there. We are grateful for the additional budget allocated to the Dutch Relief Alliance.

Dutch Relief Alliance
The Dutch Relief Alliance consists of fourteen Dutch humanitarian organizations collaborating with the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and many local organizations to provide emergency aid in countries such as Somalia and South Sudan.

Partner organization Zamzam gives a video update on the situation in Somalia and the assistance we can offer with the Dutch Relief Alliance.

[button_primary link=”https://youtube.com/shorts/FooXqU7gHqI?feature=share” target=”_blank”]Watch the video update[/button_primary]