GENEVA / SOUTH SUDAN 5TH ANNIVERSARY

On the eve of South Sudan’s 5th anniversary, a UNHCR spokesperson stressed that “the violence continues, the hunger continues and people continue to be forced to flee their homes”. UNTV CH

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:02:21
• Production Date: 8 July 2016
• Asset Language: English
• Personal Subject: MELISSA FLEMING
• Subject Topical: DISPLACED PERSONS; HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE
• Geographic Subject: SOUTH SUDAN
• MAMS Id: 1666626
• Parent Id: 1666626
• Alternate Title: unifeed160708b

Description

STORY: GENEVA / SOUTH SUDAN 5TH ANNIVERSARY
TRT: 02:21
SOURCE: UNTV CH
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 8 JULY GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

Shotlist

1. Wide shot, exterior, Palais des Nations
2. Wide shot, press briefing room
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Melissa Fleming, Spokesperson, United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR):
“It is still the world’s youngest nation but it ranks among the countries with the highest levels of conflict induced population displacement globally. Nearly one in four of the South Sudan’s citizens is displaced within its borders or neighboring countries, and that means 2.6 million people and the large majority are children."
4. Close up, journalist
5. SOUNDBITE (English) SOUNDBITE (English) Melissa Fleming, Spokesperson, United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR):
“Despite the peace agreement that formally ended the civil war in August last year, conflict and instability has spread to previously unaffected areas and this is what is really of concern. The kinds of clashes of what we have seen last year that produced the biggest outflows, so also to note there has been no major return movement from the countries of asylum”.
6. Med shot, journalist
7. SOUNDBITE (English) SOUNDBITE (English) Melissa Fleming, Spokesperson, United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR):
“As usual, I also have to report that the humanitarian response is sorely lacking due to severe underfunding. We have 42 non-governmental partners with UNHCR and we are requesting 573 million for refugee protection and assistance programmes. And the inter-agency appeal is funded at 17 %. So basically this means as a result of this lack of funding water, sanitation, hygiene, health, shelter interventions in most of the countries of asylum are below the global standard. And there are risks of outbreak of diseases.”
8. Med shot, journalists
9. SOUNDBITE (English) SOUNDBITE (English) Melissa Fleming, Spokesperson, United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR):
“Displacement is a reflection of the state of the country and whether it is becoming more peaceful or staying as violent as it was. And unfortunately at the 5th anniversary today, we have to report that the violence continues, the hunger continues and people continue to be forced to flee their homes."
10. Wide shot, journalists

Storyline

The spokesperson for the United Nations (UN) refugee agency (UNHCR) said that on the eve of South Sudan’s 5th anniversary, ongoing violence resulting in forced displacement continues to rise.

Speaking to reporters today in Geneva (8 Jul) Melissa Fleming said, “it is still the world’s youngest nation but it ranks among the countries with the highest levels of citizens is displaced within its borders or neighboring countries, and that means 2.6 million people and the large majority are children."

Civilians in South Sudan continue to bear the brunt of armed conflict. According to the World Food Programme (WFP) the number of food insecure people in the country is expected to increase from 4.3 million to 4.8 million in line with seasonal vulnerabilities and the economic crisis.

Fleming told the media that “despite the peace agreement that formally ended the civil war in August last year, conflict and instability has spread to previously unaffected areas and this is what is really of concern. The kinds of clashes of what we have seen last year that produced the biggest outflows, so also to note there has been no major return movement from the countries of asylum."

In the nine months that the ceasefire has been observed, the number of internally displaced people rose by 100,000 while UNHCR registered nearly 140,000 new refugees. There are now over 860,000 South Sudanese refugees in neighboring countries, making it the world’s fourth largest refugee producing country, and second largest in sub-Saharan Africa after Somalia.

Notwithstanding these challenges, South Sudan is host to more than 272,000 refugees mainly from Sudan and with smaller numbers from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Melissa Fleming said that “as usual, I also have to report that the humanitarian response is sorely lacking due to severe underfunding. We have 42 non-governmental partners with UNHCR and we are requesting 573 million for refugee protection and assistance programmes. And the inter-agency appeal is funded at 17 perecent. So basically this means as a result of this lack of funding water, sanitation, hygiene, health, shelter interventions in most of the countries of asylum are below the global standard. And there are risks of outbreak of diseases.”

Children, who constitute 70 percent of the refugee population, are suffering, according to UNHCR, the most from inadequate resources. More than 16 percent have special needs, including being unaccompanied or separated from family.

She said that “displacement is a reflection of the state of the country and whether it is becoming more peaceful or staying as violent as it was. And unfortunately at the 5th anniversary today, we have to report that the violence continues, the hunger continues and people are continued to be forced to flee their homes."