11 July 2014 - U.S. Ambassador to South Sudan Susan Page today led a high-level delegation to the UNMISS base in the Upper Nile State capital Malakal to assess the needs of internally displaced persons (IDPs) seeking shelter there.

The delegation included officials from UNMISS, USAID, the British Embassy, UN agencies and other humanitarian organizations.

“I wanted to come and see developments on the ground, in addition to getting more information from humanitarian partners,” said Ms. Page, who met IDPs at the new protection site on the UNMISS base.

The Ambassador, who also met with UNMISS Upper Nile State Coordinator Deborah Schein, said she would visit other areas in the state and the rest of the country soon.

“In the near future, I will be visiting Maban County, Unity State and other areas affected by the crisis … in line with an additional amount of money which was designated for South Sudan recently as part of humanitarian assistance from the U.S. government,” she said.

A media note from the Office of the U.S. State Department Spokesperson yesterday announced nearly $22 million in additional humanitarian assistance for refugees and IDPs in South Sudan and South Sudanese refugees in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Uganda.

“With this latest funding, the United States is providing more than $456 million in humanitarian assistance in fiscal year 2014 to refugees, IDPs, and other conflict-affected populations impacted by the crisis in South Sudan,” the note said.

The new U.S. contribution will allow non-governmental organizations to provide refugees and IDPs with basic life support such as access to clean water; food, health care, and essential household items; employment training; gender-based violence prevention; and programs for child protection, the note added.

“The United States strongly supports the efforts of humanitarian organizations to meet needs in South Sudan,” the note said. “This aid can only be effective if the Government of South Sudan, opposition forces, and all other parties to the conflict stop fighting and remove obstacles to the delivery of life-saving assistance.”

Ambassador Page concluded her visit to Malakal with a call for more emphasis on humanitarian assistance to IDPs, especially during the rainy season.