Millions of dollars pledged to aid displaced in South Sudan

(Vatican Radio) Donor countries have pledged more than $500 million to South Sudan amid calls from the government to aid the millions of people displaced by the country’s  year-old conflict.

Listen to Ann Schneible’s report:

Fighting broke out in December 2013 after President Salva Kiir accused former vice president Riek Machar of trying to oust him in a coup.

The ensuing violence between government forces and rebels has killed tens of thousands of people, while more than 2.1 million have been displaced.  500,000 people have fled to neighboring countries.

The Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Clement Taban, was present at a UN pledging conference held in Nairobi, Kenya on Monday to help the conflict-affected people in South Sudan.

Speaking ahead of the conference he addressed the urgency of bringing supplies to 2.5 people within the coming months.

“During the rainy season, we are cut off. We are unable to go to a number of locations.”

One in five South Sudanese will need food aid up until March, with fears that combatants might hamper aid and food distribution, leading to localized famine.

The United Nations has appealed for $1.8 billion to fund the emergency response in South Sudan in 2015.