New call for proposal is underway as Dutch Relief Alliance and Save the Children International have organized a challenge mapping workshop for partner organizations to brainstorm on the most challenging humanitarian situations that requires innovative approaches to improve the lives of the disaster stricken South Sudanese. The workshop generated various challenges and mapped out innovative methods to tackle them.

The challenge ideas focused on three key areas of Mental health and Psychosocial Support, MHPSS for children in emergency situations, Food Security and Livelihood and Resilient and Early Recovery. DRA is expected to launch the next challenge call for proposals in March next year 2023.

Humanitarian needs in South Sudan are mainly driven by the impacts of years of conflict and exacerbated by the impact of climate change. A new threat came into focus as the global COVID-19 pandemic spread in the country in 2020. The COVID-19 outbreak came against the backdrop of an already dire humanitarian situation and is much more than a health crisis. Access to essential services, including health care, education, water and sanitation, as well as protection and legal services, was already limited and much of the service infrastructure was damaged, destroyed or closed in 2020. People’s physical and mental wellbeing, living standards and coping mechanisms are expected to further deteriorate, and more than 8.3 million people across the country are estimated to be in need of humanitarian assistance in 2022, more than 54% of which are children.