United States has announced 138 million dollar new aid to South Sudan. US Secretary of State John Kerry said the aid is meant for food, water, and medicine for those in need. He was addressing a meeting attended by Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta and foreign ministers from Kenya, Uganda, Sudan, Somalia, and South Sudan in Nairobi at the start of his three-country tour. He said, it is necessary to deploy the 4,000-troop Regional Protection Force in South Sudan as mandated by the UN Security Council.
The UN force is being deployed after clashes in South Sudan’s capital Juba last month. More than 300 people died in the clashes and forced the opposition leader Riek Machar to flee the country.
Kerry also announced additional 117 million dollar aid to support refugees, returnees and drought victims in Somalia. He said US will donate 29 million dollar to the UN refugee agency for the safe and voluntary return of Somali refugees in Kenya.