Question Period Note: Canada's Humanitarian Response in South Sudan

7.2 million people in South Sudan continue to experience humanitarian crisis due to conflict and insecurity.

• Canada is deeply concerned by the continuing humanitarian crisis in South Sudan.

• Canada provides humanitarian assistance to meet the emergency needs of people in South Sudan. This includes emergency food, water, nutrition, and health services to vulnerable populations, including women and girls.

• Canada will continue to closely monitor this humanitarian crisis and will respond, as appropriate.

In July 2016, the resumption of the civil war caused a further deterioration of the already dire humanitarian situation in South Sudan. The violence spread throughout the country leading to massive population displacement, as well as devastating food production, and aggravating inflation and market failure. While the September 2018 peace agreement is cause for cautious optimism, 2.3 million refugees remain in neighbouring countries in the region, making South Sudan the largest refugee crisis in Africa. An additional 1.9 million people are displaced internally.

In response to the crisis, humanitarian partners are maintaining their efforts in South Sudan. The situation remains dire across the country as the number of people struggling to find enough food each day is estimated to be 6.9 million from May to July 2019. During this peak lean season, humanitarian assistance is anticipated to prevent a substantial proportion of the population from experiencing famine conditions.

Since 2016, Canada has allocated $152 million in humanitarian assistance to South Sudan ($88.5 million announced, on OCHA's FTS website), including $30.98 million to date in 2019 (not announced, on OCHA's FTS website). Assistance is delivered through experienced partners such as the Red Cross, UN and NGOs.

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