Good afternoon Mr. Chair and members of the committee.
I am pleased to provide an update today on the human rights situation in South Sudan. I am accompanied by my colleague, Chantal Labelle, director of the South Sudan Development Program.
In December 2013, only two years after its independence, civil war broke out in South Sudan. After a short period of tenuous calm following the signature of an agreement in August 2015, fighting erupted again in July 2016 between forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and those loyal to former Vice President Riek Machar.
Serious weaknesses in command and control on both sides resulted in widespread violence and attacks, including against civilians and aid workers. South Sudan has been the subject of several recent high-level reports, including by the United Nations and Human Rights Watch. These reports have documented large scale violations of human rights, including brutal cases of sexual violence against women and girls. Tens of thousands of people have been killed since December 2013, and attacks against civilians and aid workers have persisted
The conflict in South Sudan has displaced more than 2.4 million people. About 1.6 million have been internally displaced, and more than 880,000 have fled to neighbouring countries. Approximately 4.3 million people, roughly one-third of the population, remain in critical need of emergency food aid.
In his recent report, the UN Secretary-General stated that the government of South Sudan has regularly obstructed the operations of the UN mission in the Republic of South Sudan, known as UNMISS, and has harassed local and international humanitarian aid agencies. Newspapers and other media organizations have been periodically closed. Journalists have been beaten and on several occasions killed.
The situation in South Sudan is complex and has resulted in Canada's engagement on multiple fronts.
We are actively contributing to the UN mission in South Sudan through the deployment of Canadian Armed Forces personnel. We are also engaged in the peace process through our participation in what is called the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission, which monitors implementation of the August 2015 peace agreement.
Canada has publicly voiced its support of the UN Security Council resolution to strengthen UNMISS's mandate and all efforts to implement an arms embargo in concert with the international community, in addition to expressing our deep concern over continued gross violations of human rights in South Sudan. We currently have in place targeted sanctions against individuals on each side of the conflict there.
Between 2012 and 2015, Canada's international development and humanitarian assistance to South Sudan totalled approximately $389 million. Our development assistance program, almost $270 million, has been focused on increasing food security; livelihoods support; maternal, newborn, and child health; as well as some capacity building for media organizations. In 2016, so far, we have provided over $45 million in humanitarian assistance to improve access to food, shelter, medical care, safe drinking water, sanitation, and protection in South Sudan.
I will be pleased to answer any questions.