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Tribune News Network
Doha
In response to the alarming humanitarian situation in South Sudan, Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) has launched a relief intervention to help the victims of famine in the war-torn country at a total cost of $300,000.
Co-implemented by Kuwait Red Crescent Society (KRCS) and the World Food Programme (WFP), the programme involves delivering 187 tonnes of popular food items like maize, cereals and vegetable oil.
The food supplies were procured from neighbouring countries and stored at WFP's warehouses, in coordination with local authorities.
On Wednesday, the first batch of aid was airdropped by United Nations aircraft onto worst-hit inaccessible areas, where a team of WFP is stationed to collect and distribute them to the beneficiaries.
The distribution will be supervised by QRCS and KRCS representatives.
More than 100,000 people are facing a widespread famine in several parts of South Sudan and 270,000 children already have severe malnutrition.
According to international reports, five million people are in dire need of help, basically food and livelihood.
Insecurity makes it difficult to access drought-stricken areas, leaving thousands at risk of death if food aid is not immediately secured.
The programme is done under a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between QRCS and WFP in April 2017 to secure technical and logistical services through the UN Humanitarian Response Depot (UNHRD) network, a preparedness tool that supports the strategic stockpiling efforts of the wider humanitarian community.
Having commenced its operations there since 2013, QRCS has conducted several health, water and sanitation projects in the nascent country, with funding from Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD). Among these achievements are digging of water wells, building of toilets and promoting environmental hygiene.
