Juba, 24 Jan – MapAction has deployed two mapping experts to South Sudan at the request of the United Nations.
Wide-spreading fighting has extended across the country, affecting hundreds of thousands of civilians. The crisis is exacerbating what was already a challenging humanitarian situation, with 4.4 million people requiring humanitarian assistance prior to recent violence.
According to United Nations’ statistics, an estimated 413,000 people have been internally displaced as a result and over 74,000 more have fled to neighbouring countries (as of 14 January). Aid agencies believe that the number of internally displaced people could be much higher, as insecurity and logistical constraints have prevented relief workers from travelling outside towns.
New pockets of displacement are being reported daily, making it a very difficult environment for aid agencies to plan and implement their response.
MapAction’s mapping experts will be working in partnership with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and other humanitarian responders to help assess the humanitarian impact of the violence and aid priorities. In particular, they will create a common operational picture of the locations and needs of displaced people.