17 June 2015 - UN agencies and non-governmental organizations in South Sudan recently launched an emergency airlift operation to deliver kits containing live-saving supplies to internally displaced persons (IDPs) in hard-to-reach areas.

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) announced on 16 June that the first distribution of about 4,500 survival kits was delivered by helicopter, targeting an estimated 28,000 people.

"Taking into consideration the persistent access constraints in South Sudan, the survival kits could represent a new, innovative modality for reaching extremely vulnerable people in remote areas with lifesaving assistance," said Laura Jones, Shelter and Non-Food Items Cluster Coordinator at the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

The kits, which weigh 9 kilograms each, were developed with support from FAO, IOM, UNICEF, World Food Programme and other partners. They were designed to provide short-term assistance to the most vulnerable families fleeing violence in locations that remain inaccessible

The survival kits contain mosquito nets, short-maturity vegetable seeds, fishing supplies, water-carrying containers, water purification tablets, oral rehydration salts, nutritional biscuits for children and kitchen sets.

The announcement noted that for many displaced and food-insecure communities, the survival kits may be the only humanitarian aid they receive during the next crucial weeks of the lean season.

"It is a top priority for FAO to reach these displaced communities, who in most cases have missed the planting season this year,” said the organization’s Deputy Country Representative, Karim Bah. “This operation will provide people with a short-term capacity to survive."

The announcement noted that partner agencies were working with the International Rescue Committee and Mercy Corps, who distribute the kits on the ground, to ensure that delivery of aid does not further expose beneficiaries to protection issues and security risks.

"The majority of those who have fled recent violence are children who will not survive without basic necessities like food and clean water,” said UNICEF Representative Jonathan Veitch. “This short-term response is crucial while we work on restoring services devastated by conflict."

According to the announcement, the humanitarian community has reached 1.88 million people with humanitarian assistance since January 2015 but requires $1 billion to continue lifesaving operations to match the depth of needs across the country.

“The priority of all agencies working on the response is unrestricted access to displaced communities and the redeployment of full teams on the ground,” the statement said.