Key messages
The humanitarian situation has rapidly deteriorated as a result of the armed violence that broke out in the capital Juba on 15 December 2013, subsequently spreading to several states in South Sudan. Around 494 000 people have been internally displaced as a result of the current wave of violence. 86 100 have sought refuge in neighboring countries.
Across the country, the dead and the wounded are estimated in the tens of thousands. Further hundreds of thousands have been affected and possibly displaced in areas currently inaccessible to humanitarian organisations.
A rapid improvement in the security situation is needed to allow unhindered deployment of aid workers and relief supplies in most regions. The main humanitarian needs include food, clean water, healthcare, shelter, sanitation, hygiene and protection.
The current violence adds to an already challenging humanitarian situation, including inter-communal violence, frequent natural disasters and fighting between the government and non-state parties which have created huge humanitarian needs and displaced thousands of people.
The European Commission is making €50 million available in 2014 to respond to the unfolding and intensifying humanitarian crisis in the country. At this stage, the total EU support for 2013/14 amounts to over €170 million.