(JUBA) – The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has welcomed a generous 1 million Canadian Dollar donation from The Slaight Family Foundation to support displaced women and girls in South Sudan. The two-year funding will help restore essential services that have been disrupted due to a sharp reduction in global humanitarian support.
The Slaight Family Foundation, based in Toronto, said its goal is to maintain life saving assistance in crisis zones like South Sudan, Bangladesh and Yemen, where international aid has declined.
“We hope this funding will help sustain access to health care, food, education and protection for the world’s most vulnerable,” said Gary Slaight, President and CEO of the foundation.
The donation comes at a critical time for South Sudan. Since early 2025, renewed violence and instability have forced tens of thousands of people to flee their homes. Meanwhile, conflict across the border in Sudan continues to drive refugees and returnees into South Sudan, placing additional pressure on limited resources.
South Sudan now hosts over 1.2 million people, most of them women and children. Many have fled the brutal conflict in Sudan and are now relying on already stretched humanitarian services. Women and girls are among the most affected, facing high risks of sexual violence, exploitation and abuse.
According to UNHCR, nearly 75 percent of safe spaces it supports for women and girls in South Sudan have closed due to lack of funding. This has left up to 80,000 women and girls without access to medical services, legal aid, or psychosocial support, including survivors of rape and other violence.
The Slaight donation will allow UNHCR to:
| Area of Support | Description |
|---|---|
| Gender Based Violence Support | Case management and care for survivors, including in remote areas |
| Dignity Kits | Menstrual hygiene products and supplies for thousands of women and girls |
| Safe Space in Juba | Equipment and support to reopen a secure location for women and girls |
| Training | Skills development for frontline staff in data collection and survivor support |
| Staffing | Sustaining a protection officer to coordinate and deliver services |
“This gift comes at a critical moment,” said Tracey Maulfair, UNHCR Representative in Canada. “As humanitarian needs continue to rise and funding declines, this donation will help us protect some of the most vulnerable people in one of the world’s most underfunded crises.”
In Juba and other parts of the country, aid organisations have been forced to scale back due to a severe funding gap. Marie-Hélène Verney, UNHCR’s Representative in South Sudan, said although the donation is timely and welcome, it only partially addresses the urgent needs on the ground. “We still need flexible, sustained funding to support basic services like registration and civil documentation,” she said.
The grant is part of a larger humanitarian initiative by The Slaight Family Foundation, which is supporting 13 Canadian and international aid agencies working in countries facing emergency situations.
The Slaight Family Foundation, established in 2008, has contributed over 293 million Canadian Dollars (approximately 213.9 million US Dollars or 1.345 trillion South Sudanese Pounds) to major humanitarian and health causes. Its previous support has included health care in Canadian hospitals, mental health for youth, food security, services for women and girls, and international responses to poverty and disease.