South Sudan needs $1.7 billion in aid next year to help six million people – half of its population – cope with the effects of war, hunger and economic decline.
The government and the United Nations announced this on Wednesday.
South Sudan slid into civil war in late 2013, two years after gaining independence from Sudan and a third of its 12 million population has fled their homes.
The conflict was sparked by a feud between President Salva Kiir and his former deputy Riek Machar, who is being held in South Africa, and eventually led to a fight along ethnic lines.
“We are calling for $1.72 billion to continue providing life-saving assistance and protection for six million people most in need in South Sudan,” Alain Noudehou, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for South Sudan, told a news conference.
