US$ 1.8 billion
Required to support 6 million people
Humanitarian boundary and prioritization
Cognizant of the reduction in humanitarian funding for South Sudan, the humanitarian response will be guided by robust prioritization, ensuring that assistance reaches those facing the greatest needs. The target population figure within this response plan is the outcome of rigorous analysis and the application of vulnerability criteria, establishing a clear boundary for the humanitarian caseload. To further enhance targeting, the Needs Analysis Working Group (NAWG) will align its analytical framework to the Joint Intersectoral Analysis Framework (JIAF) 2.0 and continue to conduct monthly analyses to inform prioritization in the most affected geographical locations based on severity ranking. In these locations, clusters will prioritize activities for those in acute situations. These include IDPs in camps and camp-like settings requiring sustained assistance and protection for survival, returnees who arrived since January 2023 with high vulnerabilities, and highly vulnerable resident populations recorded under the lowest World Bank poverty band and surviving below US$1.98 a day. The response aims to be multi-sectoral wherever possible, comprehensively addressing the needs in a principled and effective manner.
Please click here to access the Infographics | Please click here to access the cluster prioritization table
A muti-year response strategy
In response to South Sudan's enduring crisis, the HCT has endorsed a forward-looking Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) covering 2024 to 2025. This strategic approach coincidentally harmonizes with ongoing frameworks such as the Flagship Initiative, the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF), and the Collective Outcomes for 2021-2025. While the primary objective remains the delivery of life-saving assistance and protection, humanitarian partners are embarking on collaborative efforts with development and peace partners to promote a unified strategy that enhances community resilience in the face of diverse shocks while ensuring lasting solutions for crisis-affected people. This approach will guide individuals and communities towards gradually reducing their reliance on immediate aid, necessitating advocacy efforts with donors and the Government to amplify support for longterm interventions and resilience measures. The strategic approach promotes meaningful community engagement, enabling the implementation of context-specific interventions that bolster efforts on AAP.
Centrality of protection
South Sudanese experience huge protection challenges. Collective efforts will focus on safeguarding communities from various risks, reinforcing referral systems to aid their recovery from harm, and fostering an environment conducive to their safety and security. Within this framework, clusters will embed protection principles into their programs and strategies, ensuring that the response remains centered on protection. The commitment aligns with the HCT protection strategy, emphasizing the core role of protection in the response. All actions taken by the HCT and its members will be guided by humanitarian and protection principles, including approaches that are conflict-sensitive and do no harm. Partners are dedicated to promoting and enhancing the mainstreaming of protection, AAP, and protection from sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA) across all sectors of the humanitarian response. These actions underscore the unwavering commitment to ensuring the safety, dignity, and rights of affected people.
Rubkona town, Unity State
Youth play football at the buffer zone in Bentiu IDP camp sector 5, southern gate.
OCHA/Sarah WaiswaUse of multi-purpose cash assistance
Cash and voucher assistance (CVA) played a pivotal role in the 2023 South Sudan humanitarian response, delivering approximately $70 million to more than 6 million people as of November 2023, including $16.7 million (24 per cent) through multi-purpose cash assistance (MPCA). MPCA empowered vulnerable families to address immediate life-saving needs, emphasizing dignity and freedom independently. In 2024, CVA will be integrated into social safety nets, focusing on disability inclusion and women's leadership. Market-based programs, including CVA, will become a common response strategy across clusters. Challenges include limited rural mobile network coverage, inflation, insecurity and fluctuating exchange rates. Donor priorities and financial service provider fees are also of concern. The UN, NGOs and the private sector will take a multisectoral approach to promote MPCA. Market monitoring will inform CVA programming to enhance financial access for vulnerable groups. Collaboration between the Cash Working Group (CWG) and clusters will build on past experiences to maximize efficiency and improve coordination.
2024 HNRP: Multi-Purpose Cash - Households Targeted by County
For more information about the CWG in South Sudan, please click here.
References
- https://reliefweb.int/report/south-sudan/south-sudan-cluster-activity-prioritization-hnrp-2024 - Cluster activity prioritization table
- South Sudan Cash and Voucher Dashboard, Cash Working Group, 2023