The recent funding cuts at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and an extraordinary 90-day halt on its activities has put people living in Sudan and South Sudan, the world’s most vulnerable communities, at even more risk by taking away the security of life-saving food, water, medical care, and shelter during humanitarian crises.
Representatives of the Canadian Foodgrains Bank recently travelled to South Sudan to see this situation for themselves, sharing a special announcement this afternoon of how the Canadian government is recognizing the great needs of this country.
The recent announcement from the Canadian Government to contribute $4 million to the Canadian Foodgrains Bank's efforts to Sudan has come at a crucial time.
"This is to support three new projects across the country that's going to serve over 27,000 people and help address the food needs of some of the most vulnerable people in the world," shares Winnipeg-based senior humanitarian manager Stefan Epp-Koop. "So, we're excited to say that we have this additional funding coming from the Canadian government, and that alongside the projects that are supported by Canadians that we're implementing are really making a difference here both in Sudan and South Sudan."
Until 2011, Sudan and South Sudan were one country. However, following decades of civil war, the southern section seceded, becoming one of the world’s newest nations, South Sudan. Stefan Epp-Koop and Foodgrains Bank Executive Director Andy Harrington travelled to South Sudan this past week to learn more about that situation and the projects with their partner organizations.
Epp-Koop says all three of these new projects will be working with internally displaced people.
"So, people who have been forced to flee their homes because of the violence, because of the conflict, and we know that Sudan has by far the greatest number of people in the world who are experiencing hunger," he adds, "and there are parts of the country that are even now being considered to be in a famine."
These newest projects will be supporting people who are experiencing the worst levels of hunger over the next 5-6 months by providing food, or food vouchers to help them not only survive, but to begin reestablishing their lives in a healthy state once again.
Please listen to more with Stefan Epp-Koop below as he shares more on the situation, he's been seeing firsthand while in South Sudan last week.
For more, please visit the Canadian Foodgrains Bank on this recent announcement by the Canadian Government HERE!