Funding Boost from Green Climate Fund
Juba confirmed that the Green Climate Fund has granted South Sudan US$50 million, bolstered by a US$2.5 million contribution from Japan, for a five-year climate-adaptation programme aimed at the country’s flood belt.
Target States and Beneficiaries
Northern Bahr el Ghazal and Warrap—home to hundreds of thousands routinely displaced by rising waters—will pilot the scheme.
Officials project direct support for 550,000 residents and indirect benefits for more than one million through smarter water management, climate-resilient farming and early-warning systems.
Why the Cash Matters Now
Seasonal floods have submerged villages, cut off roads and disrupted harvests every year since 2019, eroding already fragile livelihoods.
Minister Mabior Garang said the grant ‘crowns nearly a decade of engagement with the Green Climate Fund and aligns with our national adaptation plan’.
Voices from Implementing Partners
World Food Programme deputy director Adham Effendi called the deal ‘a major milestone’ and praised Japan for ensuring displaced people remain central to the design.
UNHCR’s Mesfin Degefu Gubay noted that new semi-permanent shelters and rehabilitated boreholes could ‘turn a critical corner for families battered by floods year after year’.
Regional Significance for Africa
Analysts say the project showcases how fragile states can still unlock large-scale climate finance by tying humanitarian needs to Paris Agreement goals.
Success in South Sudan could inspire similar bids across the Congolese Basin and Sahel, where heavy rains increasingly threaten food security and stability.