Deputy FM visits South Sudan as government weighs moving Gazans there

Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel will hold a series of meetings today in South Sudan, marking the first official visit to the East African country by an Israeli government representative.

According to a statement from Haskel’s office, the deputy minister will meet with South Sudanese President Salva Kiir Mayardit, as well as the country’s foreign minister, speaker of the parliament and other senior government officials. Kiir has served as the country’s president since its founding in 2011.

“While the international community is focused solely on Gaza, South Sudan is facing a real humanitarian crisis and the threat of genuine famine that is claiming the lives of many refugees from the war in Sudan,” Haskel says in the statement, urging “all hunger experts in the international community and in the media to come here and see with their own eyes what happens when there is a real famine.”

Last night, it was reported that Israel is in talks with South Sudan over the potential resettlement of displaced Palestinians from the war-torn Gaza Strip — a move prompting humanitarian concerns given South Sudan’s own fragile conditions.

Haskel’s meetings will focus on “deepening cooperation in the fields of health, education, technology, agriculture, and energy; advancing joint initiatives in civil and security development; strengthening regional cooperation; and exploring options for Israeli humanitarian aid in light of the challenges the country faces due to the war in neighboring Sudan,” according to the statement.

Haskel will also visit a trauma center established by Israel in the country’s capital, Juba.

“I am proud of the Israeli initiatives helping this young nation in health, agriculture, energy, and food. I thank the government of South Sudan for its support of Israel,” Haskel adds.