The International Organization for Migration has received 1 million Euros from the government of Italy to expand psychosocial support for IDPs in South Sudan.

IOM South Sudan Chief of Mission David Derthick says the funding will support a one-year project in Bor.

“Nineteen months into the crisis, the fighting has stretched the coping capacities of IDPs to their limits,” said Mr Derthick.

“Limited freedom of movement in – often congested – PoC sites continues to exact a toll on IDPs’ well-being.”

The psychosocial impact of the crisis persists, as the experience of violence, displacement and confinement across PoC sites has contributed to community-wide emotional distress, according to IOM.

In addition, it will enable the extension of the program to support IDPs at the camp in Bentiu, Unity State, where an estimated 78,000 people are seeking safety.

IOM will also deploy a psychologist on rotation to provide more specialized services in Bor and Bentiu.

The organization has offered psychosocial services to nearly 2,300 people at the site in Bor.