JUBA, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese firm on Thursday handed over essential relief supplies to thousands of people displaced by floods in oil-rich Unity State in northern South Sudan.
Ren Yongsheng, director of public relations of China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) Africa Company, said the donation includes tents, blankets, mats, mosquito nets, and malaria medicines.
"We hope these supplies will help alleviate the suffering of flood-affected people and bring them warmth during this difficult time," he said, noting that CNPC has contributed more than six million U.S. dollars to charitable projects in South Sudan over the years.
According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, an estimated 273,000 people have been affected by floods in 12 counties across Jonglei, Unity, Upper Nile, and Central Equatoria states, with Jonglei and Unity accounting for more than 91 percent of those impacted.
Victoria Benjamin Bol, director for community development at the Ministry of Petroleum, said heavy floods between August and September had left many families homeless and destroyed livestock and crops as farmlands were submerged.
"CNPC has helped thousands of families to meet their immediate needs. This support is a clear demonstration of true partnership and humanity," Bol said during the handover ceremony in Juba, the capital of South Sudan.
Martha Remijo Rial, acting director of China affairs in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, said the support is a sign of unity and friendship between South Sudan and China. She said Juba remained committed to strengthening ties with Beijing across multiple fields.
Unity State Governor Riek Bim Top said the contribution was timely and underscored CNPC's commitment to helping people in need. "This is not the first contribution our people are receiving from CNPC when we are in a critical and hard time. I want to admit that this donation has come at the right time, when our people are in desperate need of this kind of support," the governor said.
Huo Ying, charge d'affaires at the Chinese Embassy in South Sudan, said that global challenges such as natural disasters, public health crises, and unbalanced development are becoming increasingly prominent, placing higher demands on the global governance system.
"No country can stay immune alone, nor can any country tackle these challenges single-handedly," she said, calling for more partners to support South Sudan's flood-affected communities.
