US pledging $300M in aid to South Sudan

Washington: The United States is pledging nearly USD 300 million in assistance to address urgent humanitarian needs resulting from the crisis in South Sudan. Some of the money will come from the US Emergency Refugee and Migration Assistance Fund and will be used to support the United Nations and other refugee organisations.

The White House says the UN and its partners are urgently assisting the more than 300,000 refugees that have crossed into Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan and Uganda, as well as internally-displaced persons in South Sudan. Obama authorised the emergency funding ahead of a South Sudan pledging conference scheduled for today in Oslo, Norway. The US says months of conflict between South Sudan`s government and rebel forces have left the country at risk of famine unless humanitarian agencies increase their assistance.  The Thai military`s declaration of martial law must be temporary and not undermine democracy, the United States said late Monday. The United States is concerned about the political crisis in Thailand and urges "all parties to respect democratic principles, including respect for freedom of speech," State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in a statement. "We understand the Royal Thai Army announced that this martial law declaration is not a coup. We expect the Army to honor its commitment to make this a temporary action to prevent violence, and to not undermine democratic institutions," Psaki said. "The United States firmly believes all parties must work together to resolve differences through dialogue and find a way forward. This development underscores the need for elections to determine the will of the Thai people," she added.