The Government of South Sudan, represented by the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, officially launched the UN Women Humanitarian Assistance Programme in South Sudan on 4 December 2015 at the Landmark Hotel in Juba.  The Government of Japan provided US$ 3.5 million to UN Women to fund the programme which will build resilience of over 6,000 women and girls affected by conflict.

The two year programme will be implemented in Central Equatoria State (Juba County), Lakes State (Awerial County) and Eastern Equatoria State (Pageri Administrative Area).  

The UN Women Humanitarian Assistance Programme will contribute to filling critical gender gaps in the ongoing humanitarian response in South Sudan. The programme will also provide technical and capacity building support to the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management and other international and national humanitarian actors, to ensure that gender equality and women’s empowerment needs and rights are adequately and sustainably integrated into all future humanitarian response and recovery strategic plans.

In his welcome statement, Mr. Lansana Wonneh, the UN Women Deputy Country Representative, emphasized that the programme will complement the work of other humanitarian actors in South Sudan, in particular women, girls and children affected by conflict. In his key note statement, His Excellency, Kiya Masahiko, the Japanese Ambassador to South Sudan highlighted the Government of Japan’s continued commitment to support gender equality and women’s empowerment. The Ambassador revealed his Government's contribution of US$3 billion for work on gender equality and women's empowerment over the next three years.

Sue Lautze, Deputy Humanitarian Coordinator, speaking on behalf of the Humanitarian Coordinator, reiterated the suffering of women and girls and the risky coping mechanisms, such as transactional sex that further exposed them to sexual and gender-based violence. She encouraged stakeholders to remove the phrase “Building Resilience among Women and Girls affected by Conflict in South Sudan” written at the back of their t-shirts and imprint it on their hearts”.

Professor Lokulenge Lole, also Chairperson of the South Sudan Relief and Rehabilitation Commission, represented the Minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management and highlighted that “This programme comes at a critical time when our women and girls are still the most affected and marginalized group in our community.” He commended the programme for taking into account the needs of the host community who normally bears the burden associated with settlements of internally displaced people.

Professor Lokulenge thanked the Government and People of Japan for their commitment to support the people of South Sudan. The Professor, in closing reiterated the commitment of the Government of South Sudan to ensuring success of the Humanitarian Assistance Programme.