4 February 2014 - To assist 3.2 million South Sudanese worst affected by hostilities in South Sudan, aid agencies would need $1.27 billion to cover the period up to June, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator said at a press conference in Juba today.

Toby Lanzer, who is also Deputy Representative of the Secretary-General (DSRSG), said humanitarian partners had scaled up response to include relief for displaced people, host communities, refugees and other communities whose lives and livelihoods are at immediate risk.

Almost 900,000 people had been displaced, millions of lives had been shattered and livelihoods lost following the conflict, he said.

“We have a group of non-governmental organizations … which will be working very closely with key United Nations agencies and for us to operate between now and June, we require $1.27 billion,” said Mr. Lanzer.

“Our priority is to save lives and ensure that we have food, medicine and other lifesaving supplies prepositioned … before the rains hit and roads become impassable,” he added.

The humanitarian coordinator, who met with international community representatives before the media briefing, said partners were in regular contact with the government whose “resource base” had been shattered by different events in the country since independence.

“With unfolding crises in other places in the world, we will do everything we can to raise this money from the international community,” he said.

Asked about possible looting of pre-positioned relief supplies as had happened in several places during the conflict, Mr. Lanzer said humanitarian partners would seek protection from UNMISS peacekeepers in particularly “delicate” areas.

“The alternative to prepositioning is providing aid by air drops but that is terribly expensive,” he said. “To mitigate looting, we will continue to work with local communities.”

The DSRSG said the mission was holding discussions with authorities on different ways to deal with the situation of thousands of civilians seeking shelter on “acutely overcrowded” UNMISS bases, and the impending disaster that could be caused by coming rains.

He welcomed initiatives like the recently launched national police strategy to build confidence and trust that would eventually encourage people to return to their homes.

“There is no question of pushing them out of our bases because we have a responsibility to protect civilians… Any framework we have is hinged on people feeling safe enough to leave the bases,” said Mr. Lanzer. “However, we are doing our utmost not only to keep people safe but also healthy.”