Minister for Africa Rory Stewart has announced an additional £52 million humanitarian package to help the communities – including refugees and internally displaced people – impacted by the ongoing conflict in South Sudan.

The funding – which will provide much-needed food, shelter and support – comes as peace talks begin to find a resolution to the conflict, now entering its fourth year.

The £52 million package announced today from the Department for International Development will support those fleeing the conflict in South Sudan and help Sudan, Uganda and Ethiopia – some of the world’s poorest countries – to cope with the largest refugee crisis in Africa.

Since the beginning of the conflict, four million South Sudanese have left their homes, of which up to 85% are women and children. Over a third of the population – 4.8 million people – do not have secure access to food. The UK is working in South Sudan to tackle both the causes and the consequences of the conflict.

The High-Level Revitalization Forum (HLRF) will convene on Monday to begin the peace talks in Addis Ababa, to be led by neighbouring African countries including Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, and Sudan.

The UK is working closely with the region and the wider international community to bring all the relevant parties back to the table to agree an inclusive political settlement.

Minister for Africa for the Foreign Commonwealth Office and the Department for International Development, Rory Stewart, said:

The people of South Sudan continue to suffer at the hands of a dire security, human rights and humanitarian crisis, caused by the on-going conflict in their country. But the scars of this war can be felt right across the region. This support package will help South Sudan and its neighbours provide thousands of displaced people with the lifesaving medicines, shelter, food and sanitation that are so desperately needed.

The much-needed support to those fleeing conflict and instability in South Sudan will include:

Shelter, education, food and sanitary provision to 50,000 South Sudanese refugees every year for the next five years, and livelihoods support for 30,000 South Sudanese refugees, in Sudan.

Food assistance to 950,000 refugees from the country living in Uganda.

Critical healthcare, treatment for malnutrition and clean water to 450,000 South Sudanese refugees in Ethiopia

Up to 500,000 people in South Sudan will be helped with a range of interventions including emergency food, medicine and shelter, improved health and sanitation, as well as seeds, tools and fishing kits to help people feed their families by ensuring they can maintain their livelihoods.

The UK has played a leading role in the global response to the crisis, providing lifesaving aid, deploying peacekeepers to provide vital engineering and medical assistance to the UN Mission of South Sudan, and working with international partners to build a genuine and sustainable peace.

Minister for Africa Rory Stewart added:

The UK can be proud of the important work we are doing in South Sudan, addressing both the causes and the consequences of this conflict – from the dedication of British diplomats, to aid workers providing food and water, and the nearly 300 British military personnel building vital roads and infrastructure in difficult circumstances. Crucially, we are helping the country prepare for a future free from conflict. Now we need to see real progress from the peace process. Our expectations are clear – all parties must end hostilities and full humanitarian access must be granted, so we can help innocent people caught up in the conflict.

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Note to editors:

This £52m funding package is made up of: