Update on South Sudan

Update on South Sudan

It is now estimated that in excess of 200,000 people have been displaced during the recent conflict.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) recently reported that the humanitarian situation in South Sudan was dire, although the full scope of the needs is still unknown.

Despite peace talks between the government and rebel groups taking place in Addis Ababa in Ethiopia, the situation in South Sudan remains volatile with fighting continuing.

How is MAF responding?

After a careful review of the security situation following our evacuation flights in December, MAF Country Director for South Sudan, Bastiaan de Waal and his wife Corina returned to Juba last Tuesday.

They have started to carry out some urgent tasks and manage the team of locally employed staff, who have all been kept safe from conflict.

Two planes have also been dispatched to Juba from Nairobi, Kenya last Thursday (9 January) to bring goods for partner agencies and our team, as well as bringing essential MAF staff including Operations Manager Mike Dupuis and pilot Ryan Unger.

The neighbourhood surrounding the MAF compound in Juba seems to have returned to normal with most shops and banks open again. However, some of our national staff have reported that certain areas in the town are still tense.

On Friday, one of our planes collected a team of mission workers from an airstrip close to Juba airport before continuing back to Nairobi.

The other aircraft will remain in Juba and be available as required by our partners or staff should a further evacuation be required.

Bastiaan attended a meeting on Friday with the Country Directors from many other NGOs in South Sudan and hopes to establish more news about the ongoing security situation and what needs exist which we may be able to serve.