JUBA, Aug. 28 (Xinhua) -- The World Food Program (WFP) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said Thursday they have secured 65 million U.S. dollars to support resilience efforts for vulnerable communities in South Sudan.

In a joint statement issued in Juba, the capital of South Sudan, the two agencies said the funding under the Joint Resilience Project Phase II in South Sudan will target nearly one million people in urban and peri-urban areas of Juba, Torit, Yambio, and Aweil.

Noala Skinner, UNICEF representative in South Sudan, said the support would have a profound impact in a country where 9.3 million people, or about 70 percent of the population, are estimated to need humanitarian assistance.

"It will enable UNICEF to scale up critical interventions from treating severe malnutrition and ensuring access to clean water, to supporting essential health and education services, and protecting children from harm," Skinner said.

Adham Effendi, WFP's acting country director in South Sudan, said that this support is not just aid but an investment in lasting resilience, food security, and dignity of the people they serve.

The agencies said the funds will go toward education, health, livelihoods, water and sanitation, child protection, and gender-based violence prevention. Part of the financing will also improve education infrastructure, including classroom renovations and daily school meals, which the agencies described as a complementary health intervention to build human capital.

The project aims to consolidate progress from the first phase while expanding to other parts of the country. ■