25 September 2014 - UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today blamed the dire humanitarian situation in South Sudan on the country’s leaders, telling them to repair the damage.

“You opened the wounds that have caused so much suffering,” Mr. Ban said during a meeting in New York. “Now heal them. The parties owe this to their people and future generations.”

The meeting was chaired by UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Valerie Amos and held on the side lines of the General Assembly’s annual high-level debate, which drew attention to the humanitarian situation in the world’s youngest nation.

“The United Nations is supporting the people of South Sudan with the biggest humanitarian operation ever undertaken in a country,” Mr. Ban said.

“Around four million people – more than a third of the entire country – suffer alarming food insecurity,” he said. “Unless we act quickly, some 50,000 children could die before the end of this year.”

The conflict that began in mid-December 2013 in South Sudan sent nearly 100,000 civilians fleeing to UN peacekeeping bases around the country, and placed millions at risk of hunger and disease. Despite the signing of a ceasefire, South Sudan has experienced several bouts of violence over the past couple of months.

In addition to those sheltering at UN bases, Mr. Ban noted that nearly two million people had fled their homes, and nearly half a million had crossed borders into neighbouring countries. “The dire humanitarian situation is primarily man made,” he said.

Ms. Amos, who is also Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, announced she was releasing $60 million from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) for South Sudan and the region. The Fund receives contributions from various donors, mainly governments, but also private companies, foundations, charities and individuals.

She noted that while the crisis of famine has been averted for the immediate future, the situation remained “extremely fragile.”

The Secretary-General called again on the leadership of both sides – the Government of South Sudan and the Sudan People’s Liberation Army in Opposition – to find an inclusive and mutually agreed power-sharing arrangement to start a transitional government.

The UN chief said those responsible for atrocities must face justice through a mechanism that meets international standards, stressing that “there can be no amnesty for anyone responsible for killing innocent civilians”.

Hervé Ladsous, the Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, said that an additional 5,000 peacekeepers were on their way to the country, but also noted the many impediments to freedom of movement of both peacekeepers and humanitarian workers that were undermining their ability to work in South Sudan.

The interactive session on South Sudan featured a number of speakers, including top officials from partner humanitarian organizations such as the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).