Integrated Partnership Proposal: Humanitarian Response in Western Bahr el Ghazal (WBeG) State, South Sudan

Introduction

Human Appeal Associates (HAA), a national NGO in South Sudan, integrates climate-smart agricultural livelihoods, sexual and reproductive healthcare training and service provision, and WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) interventions. Our approach directly responds to the calls of the community, demonstrating the power of integrated partnerships.

Global Context

The world spends billions on wars and weapons, yet millions of children still lack safe drinking water. This contradiction is deeply troubling. Unsafe water and poor sanitation claim more young lives annually than bullets ever could.

• Diarrhea, a preventable and treatable disease, kills an estimated one million people annually.
• Nearly 395,000 children under five die each year due to lack of clean water, sanitation, and hygiene.
• In South Sudan, diarrheal disease is the leading cause of child mortality, claiming over 70,000 children annually.

These are not complex challenges requiring high-tech solutions; they are solvable problems if treated as fundamental human rights.

Crisis in Western Bahr el Ghazal

The humanitarian situation in Western Bahr el Ghazal is dire:

• Over 150 refugee families who fled conflict in Sudan urgently need assistance.
• An estimated 180 families, mostly women and children, live in overcrowded conditions at Lokoloko Mosque in Wau.
• Refugee women and returnees report dire shortages of food, medical care, and shelter.
• Local organizations, such as Ya Mama Goum Development Organization, have provided limited aid.
• Community leaders and government officials, including Musa Abdelrahman Abdelkarim, Dr. Ann Nyang Diu, and Regina Edward Dimo, emphasize the urgent need for coordinated humanitarian support.

Funding and Partnership Alignment

HAA is not responding to a specific tender or grant reference at this time. Instead, we are seeking strategic partners willing to venture with us in addressing the humanitarian crisis in Western Bahr el Ghazal. This open call reflects our commitment to building alliances that transcend individual funding opportunities and focus on long-term impact.

Call for Partnership

Children in conflict-affected settings are 20 times more likely to die from water-related diseases than from violence. As HAA’s WASH Coordinator Daniel Martin stated: “More children die from a lack of clean water than from violence.”

We call for integrated partnerships to:

• Expand access to safe water and rehabilitate boreholes.
• Improve sanitation facilities and deliver hygiene education.
• Provide sexual and reproductive healthcare services.
• Support climate-smart agricultural livelihoods to strengthen resilience.
• Mobilize coordinated humanitarian response for displaced families in Wau.

Conclusion

This is not just a health issue—it is a moral imperative. Clean water, healthcare, and livelihoods must be treated as fundamental rights. Through integrated partnerships, we can respond effectively to the humanitarian crisis in Western Bahr el Ghazal and save countless lives.