For Immediate Release July 26, 2023
The United States Shares 40.5 Metric Tons of High Energy Biscuits with South Sudan, Reaching Thousands of People Displaced by Conflict
The Embassy of the United States in South Sudan, in partnership with the World Food Programme (WFP), welcomed the arrival of 40.5 metric tons of High Energy Biscuits at Juba International Airport on July 25 as part of the commitment of the United States of America to the civilians fleeing the ongoing conflict in Sudan.
The shipment will provide urgently-needed assistance to 45,000 people who recently arrived in South Sudan, including South Sudanese returnees and refugees, as thousands of people continue to cross the border each day. The U.S.-funded biscuits will be distributed at reception centers at border locations including Renk, Aweil, Bentiu, and Abyei, and will be given to returnees for onward river travel between routes such as Renk to Malakal—a journey that can take up to five days by boat.
Speaking at the airport, U.S. Ambassador to South Sudan Michael J. Adler expressed the United States’ commitment to the people fleeing violence, stating, “The United States has already pledged over $30 million to provide emergency food, health, nutrition, protection, shelter, water, and sanitation assistance to those who are fleeing the conflict in Sudan. The July 25 shipment of high energy biscuits, worth $75,000, is but a fraction of the over $300 million in food assistance the United States has provided to the South Sudanese this year alone and almost $1.8 billion over the past five years.”
High Energy Biscuits are high in energy and protein and are supplemented by vitamins and minerals. This ready-to-eat food addresses urgent needs when people are not able to cook due to a lack of access to basic facilities, such as clean water and cooking equipment.
Clashes in Sudan continue to affect the humanitarian crisis in South Sudan, with close to 190,000 people having crossed the border from Sudan into South Sudan since April 15, 2023. The United States stands with the South Sudanese people. We call upon the transitional government to bring more resources to assisting those in need, especially those returning to South Sudan.
For more information, please contact the United States Agency for International Development: Victor Lugala, Outreach and Communications Officer | vlugala@usaid.gov |+211-912-118-100
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