US sending $22 million more to aid South Sudan

The U.S. is sending an additional $22 million in humanitarian assistance to refugees and people displaced by the violence in South Sudan.

The State Department announced the new aid on Thursday, saying that with the latest funding, the U.S. is providing more than $456 million this fiscal year to those affected by the crisis in South Sudan.

South Sudan was plunged into violence in December when President Salva Kiir accused former Vice President Riek Machar of attempting a coup. Thousands have died and more than 1.3 million people have fled their homes since the conflict erupted.

The latest U.S. contribution will allow international and nongovernmental organizations to provide access to clean water, food, health care, household items, job training, gender-based violence prevention and programs for child protection.