IOM marks decade of service in South Sudan

JUBA – The International Organization for Migration’s (IOM) Rapid Response Fund (RRF) program marked a decade of providing services to the people of South Sudan on Thursday.

IOM South Sudan Acting Chief of Mission John McCue said the program has been responding to the acute needs of people and communities affected by crisis due to man-made and natural hazards in the country.

“The program seeks to save lives and reduce suffering among populations in emergency-impacted areas,” McCue said during a ceremony in Juba.

“We are cognizant that we cannot do this without the support of partners, that is why the Rapid Response Fund works with national and international non-governmental organizations to swiftly provide humanitarian response to the vulnerable populations across South Sudan,” McCue added.

He explained that the program is a fast and flexible mechanism that facilitates humanitarian response through awarding three-month emergency support.

McCue added that the program also addresses health, nutrition, agriculture and food security, protection, shelter and settlements, water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH), and humanitarian coordination and information management.

U.S. Ambassador to South Sudan Michael J. Adler acknowledged the RRF’s contributions over the past decade but also highlighted the need for the situation to improve.

“While we value the tremendous work of RRF over the past decade, all of us in this room agree that it is a tragedy that the humanitarian crisis in South Sudan has endured for so long and has indeed worsened,” Adler said.

“But in the face of this, so many courageous people have stepped forward to assist the humanitarian efforts, and the United States remains the largest donor of humanitarian assistance to this country.”

Adler emphasized the need for the Transitional Government to increase its own use of public revenue to support humanitarian response and reduce the costs and risks of aid delivery.

He also called for the removal of checkpoints on roads and the reduction of bureaucratic impediments and illicit fees imposed upon international and national non-governmental organizations.

Through the localization agenda, RRF’s programming is enabling cost-effective emergency response to situations that require urgent humanitarian intervention in South Sudan.

Over 95% of RRF’s implementing partners are national non-governmental organizations.