Scottish Government funding offers vital relief for refugees fleeing Sudan

Oxfam in South Sudan’s response is receiving £100,000 from the Scottish Government, with matching contributions to Islamic Relief Worldwide, Christian Aid and Tearfund.

The funding, provided through the Scottish Government’s Humanitarian Emergency Fund (HEF), will enable Oxfam to provide emergency cash grants to 1,887 households – approximately 11,300 individuals - giving people the dignity and freedom to buy what they need most, whether it’s food, medicine, or other essential supplies.

Oxfam will target those most in need, including pregnant and nursing mothers, people who have a disability, the elderly and those at risk of suffering from gender-based violence.

A growing emergency fuelled by conflict and climate breakdown

The Scottish Government’s emergency aid, which builds on previous support given in 2023, recognises that the situation in South Sudan is spiralling out of control and will enable Oxfam to quickly scale up its lifesaving assistance.

Since war broke out in Sudan in April 2023, over one million people have fled across the border into South Sudan, overwhelming already fragile infrastructure. Shelters are packed beyond capacity, food is running low, and health services are struggling to cope. Meanwhile, the spread of cholera is accelerating, with more than 700 cases already recorded in Renk.

But conflict is not the only threat. South Sudan ranks second in the global list of most vulnerable countries to climate shocks, facing repeated floods, droughts, and extreme heat. Rising temperatures - hitting 45°C last year - combined with severe flooding from the Nile River have worsened hunger and forced even more families from their homes. As conditions deteriorate, those who have fled war now face a dangerous mix of disease, malnutrition, and climate extremes.

Oxfam is providing clean water, toilets, and hygiene kits to prevent disease, as well as cash assistance to help families meet their immediate needs. But with the UN projecting 9.3 million people - 69% of South Sudan’s population – will be in need of humanitarian aid this year, the scale of the challenge is enormous.

Felix Koske, Country Director of Oxfam in South Sudan, said: “This funding from the Scottish Government is a lifeline at a time when global funding is falling short, and countless lives hang in the balance. People arriving in Renk face unimaginable conditions; crammed into overcrowded shelters, queuing for hours just to get clean water or to go to the toilet. This funding will support refugees and returnees to access medical attention, clothing and food – all of which is in woefully short supply at the transit centres where people arrive.

“Scotland’s support will help save lives, but we need more governments and donors to step up before it’s too late. Every day of delayed action means irreversible harm to a population that already suffered years of death, devastation and destitution.”

A mother’s story: Nadia’s fight to survive

When soldiers stormed her town in Sudan, Nadia Zahad’s world collapsed in an instant. Her husband and two eldest children were murdered before her eyes. Six months pregnant and terrified for her surviving 5-year-old son, she had no choice but to flee.

“We had no time to grieve, no time to bury them,” she says. “The soldiers took over, and we had to escape.”

Nadia endured a five-day journey on foot to South Sudan, losing her unborn twins along the way due to stress and exhaustion. Now in Renk, she and her son are among thousands crammed into transit centres at more than three times capacity, where food is scarce, and clean water is running out.

With Oxfam’s cash assistance, Nadia has been able to buy food for her son, as well as basic necessities. “Life is not easy here, but at least it’s safer,” she says. “The little cash I receive means I can feed my child.”

Oxfam’s response, reaching thousands with urgent aid

By the end of 2024, Oxfam helped over 140,000 people who had crossed the border from Sudan into South Sudan with access to clean water, sanitation and emergency cash support.

But the need is only growing, and funding shortages threaten to push even more people into extreme hunger and suffering.

The Scottish Government’s support is a vital intervention, but with UN appeals woefully underfunded, much more is needed. Oxfam is urging other donors and governments to act now.

The Humanitarian Emergency Fund Panel, which features eight leading humanitarian organisations in Scotland, collaboratively recommend projects for Scottish Government support. Crucially, the Fund does not just respond to high-profile emergencies like Gaza or Ukraine, but also those crises that unfold well away from the world’s attention.

For people in Scotland, the best way to help is by donating to Oxfam’s East Africa Hunger Crisis Appeal. Every pound makes a difference, offering families like Nadia’s the dignity and security they desperately need.

Donate today.