Ms Andrea Finnegan:

Irish Aid has been a very committed and strong supporter of World Vision's programme in South Sudan. Looking at the map, Irish Aid is supporting our programme in the far north, in the state of Upper Nile. The current programme is part of a two-year multi-annual programme. It is part of a multi-country response. In South Sudan specifically we are working towards three objectives, namely, child protection, education and women's protection. Our total funding from Irish Aid for 2017 and 2018 comes to just under €1.2 million. In comparison with other years, the shift to multi-annual programming this year has been a real benefit to our team in South Sudan, because the team has been able to plan for two years. I know that is an obvious point, but multi-annual programming gives us a sense of stability for the longer-term in planning for internally displaced persons, IDPs, and the host communities.

Regarding child protection, as my colleague, Ms Cooper, stated, we are working on child-friendly spaces, raising awareness of the rights of children and child protection issues, and working with community members in order that they can take action to make the community safer.

We provide education in emergencies. We are building semi-permanent and temporary learning facilities, providing girl-friendly latrines and providing school learning materials. We work with the community through parent-teacher associations and community education committees. That is important for raising awareness of the importance of education, maintaining enrolment rates in the schools and providing a sense of stability to the children who have been displaced in Upper Nile state.

We are also working on women's protection and gender empowerment, including raising issues around gender-based violence, GBV. We work with partners in the area on the referral pathway of response services for GBV. We also provide women with life skills to help them along the way and build their resilience in responding to the challenges they face. That is our broad-brush programme in South Sudan.

In Renk and Melut, World Vision also works on food security, livelihoods and nutrition. The organisation tries to link up the programmes. The women and children targeted under this programme are also targeted in our food security and nutrition programme. As such, there is an integrated approach to what the children can receive.

The focus on education and child protection is vital. Trends show that education and protection are most likely to be the underfunded responses in an emergency. It is very much a lifesaving activity for World Vision, along with Irish Aid, to provide these services for the children. It gives them a sense of belonging and, as Ms Cooper said, it helps them to feel safe. The programmes provide a place for them to play, learn and feel like children again. It is a vital response and we welcome the funding from Irish Aid to enable us to be flexible and to fund areas of protection and education. Some 6% of children in South Sudan are displaced. Most of them are not in education. In 2017, almost 10,000 children accessed education through this programme, a significant number considering the challenges and population movement.