South Sudan Joint Response 6 (SSJR6) SUMMARY: South Sudan remains in the grip of a serious humanitarian crisis throughout 2019, with the effects of years of conflict, displacement and lack of basic services continued to be felt throughout the country. Following a reassessment of humanitarian need at the end of the dry season in 2019, the overall number of people in need increased to 7.2 million, leaving 63% of the  total population of South Sudan in need. Plan continues in 2020 to provide 12.831 vulnerable people in Malakal with integrated Food Security and emergency livelihood support as well as protection for children and survivors of gender based violence. According to an Integrated Food Security Phase Classification Report (September, 2019) an estimated 6.35 million people (54% of the population) in South Sudan are Crisis affected (IPC Phase 3) or suffer worse acute food insecurity; an estimated 1.7 million people are faced with acute food insecurity or Emergency (IPC Phase 4);  and 10,000 people are in Catastrophe (IPC phase 5). Compared to the same period in 2018, there is a slight reduction in the proportion of people facing Crisis (IPC Phase 3) or worse acute food insecurity by an estimated 5%. However, high levels of acute food insecurity still persist in the country. In both periods, these estimates are in the presence of humanitarian food assistance (IPC Report, 2019). Adolescence is already a turbulent time of change in a young person’s life that leads to instability, emergencies often vastly change or accelerate this transition to adulthood. Many adolescent girls and boys are pulled out of school to take on caretaker or breadwinner roles at home, or become separated from their families. In Malakal, as in other conflict-affect areas of South Sudan, adolescent girls are disproportionally affected by the crisis, as they face gender discrimination in accessing food, education and health care, and experience several levels of gender-based violence. Failing to provide tailored and comprehensive responses to the unique needs and risks of adolescents, has devastating and long-term consequences. In 2020 we will remain committed to driving changes in the Malakal to protect vulnerable adolescents in crisis settings. Adolescents between 10 and 19 years old are chronically overlooked in responses to humanitarian crises. Adolescent girls are especially left behind; they face extreme barriers to accessing essential services such as food, education and healthcare as girls are often not in decision-making position (including access to finances) within their household or due to the lack of available and accessible services. Girls and young women continue to drop out of school to be married too early which increases their lifelong health and wellbeing outcomes and increases their risks of gender-based violence including sexual violence. Missing out on an education increases a girls’ chance to have a low skilled and low paid job such as a street vendor which in turn, increases her chances to GBV. The SSJR6 is a continuation of the South Sudan program funded by the Dutch Relief Alliance. Plan targets 12.831 individuals with Protection, multi-purpose cash and/or protection services in Malakal town and PoC. Specific target groups of this intervention include: vulnerable HHs headed by disabled men and women, vulnerable HHs headed by elderly people, vulnerable HHs headed by pregnant and lactating women, Vulnerable female headed HH, vulnerable HHs headed by chronically ill persons, vulnerable HHs in need of economical support  hosting orphaned children, vulnerable HH with access to land for cultivation and one household member at least able to farm, looted HH that have still remained vulnerable, Child headed HHs, vulnerable Adolescent girls, including young caregivers, children and parents experiencing psychological distress and vulnerable HHs caring for children with labor and skill capacity.