LocationsMoH, Gavi, UNDP and UNICEF Inspect Progress on Major Gumbo Warehouse Expansion
May 5, 2026
The Ministry of Health Undersecretary Dr. Francis Oromo, UNDP Resident Representative Dr. Mohamed Abchir with a high-level Gavi delegation and UNICEF during a tour of Riverside Warehouse in Gumbo to inspect expansion project funded by GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance.
A high-level delegation from the Ministry of Health, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and UNICEF visited the Riverside Warehouse in Gumbo to inspect progress on an ongoing critical expansion project. Supported by Gavi, the initiative is designed to strengthen South Sudan’s national warehousing and distribution capacity. This project represents a shift toward integrated, efficient, and sustainable public health supply chain. It aims at strengthening Government ownership, reduce costs, improve commodity availability, and strengthen immunization and essential health services across the country.
The delegation included Ministry of Health Undersecretary Dr. Francis Oromo and UNDP Resident Representative Dr. Mohamed Abchir. Representing Gavi were Ms. Colette Selman (Director for Fragile and Conflict-Affected Countries), Mr. Alex de Jonquieres (Director for Health Systems & Immunisation Strengthening), Ms. Patience Musanhu (Portfolio Lead, South Sudan), Ailsa Jones (Senior Program Manager) and Temidayo Ogunrinu, (Senior Manager Health Systems & Immunisation Strengthening.)
The site visit was a key component of the Gavi country mission to South Sudan, which ran from 27 April to 1 May 2026.
The expansion of Riverside Warehouse - Gumbo is underway. This extension will contribute to an integrated, efficient, sustainable and resilient public health supply chain.
During the field visit, the delegation witnessed expansion work that will double the facility's current storage capacity from 2,500 pallets to 5,000 pallet positions. The project is expected to be completed by September 2026.
Funding and Strategic Scope
In 2025, Gavi, through its partnership with the Global Fund, allocated US$2.6 million to the Ministry of Health via UNDP to strengthen the country’s public health supply chain system towards a single and coordinated integrated supply chain from central to local levels. This funding is currently supporting two primary pillars:
• The Riverside Warehouse Gumbo Expansion: Increasing dry storage capacity and cold chain to manage larger volumes of supplies.
• Infrastructure and Security Enhancements (Konyokonyo): Upgrading the security and infrastructure at the Central Medical Stores.
By expanding storage, South Sudan will effectively scale up national immunization programs and streamline the distribution of essential health commodities to sub-national levels using the regional warehouses as part of decentralizing the national supply chain.
In addition to storage, the Konyokonyo facility is receiving critical utility upgrades, including an enhanced security system, renovation of the receiving bays and improving access control to the facility.
The Gavi delegation took a hands-on approach. They met with partners and toured project sites to see their supported initiatives in action.
Voices from the field
Speaking during the field visit, Dr. Francis Oromo, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Health, commended Gavi for supporting the expansion at Gumbo allowing the facility to accommodate larger quantities of health commodities, vaccines, and laboratory reagents. Dr. Oromo also underscored the importance of integration, urging all development partners in the sector to embrace this approach.
Ms. Colette Selman, Gavi’s Director for Fragile and Conflict-Affected Countries, expressed Gavi’s pride in the initiative. "We are delighted to support the integration of essential health commodities including vaccines and HIV, TB, and malaria drugs within a central warehouse," she stated. "This integration drives efficiency and reduces costs. We look forward to continuing our work with the government and partners to support integrated last-mile distribution to health facilities across South Sudan." She added that Gavi remains committed to strengthening both central and regional warehouse capacities.
UNDP Resident Representative Dr. Mohamed Abchir also lauded GAVI and the Ministry of Health’s leadership. He noted that strong oversight of warehouse operations has significantly improved efficiency and ensured the consistent availability of essential medicines and reagents. "As we have seen today, this system is working," he remarked.
Inside the Riverside warehouse in Gumbo - a vital storage hub for HIV, TB, and other essential health commodities.
Background
The decision to prioritize these investments followed a joint MOH/Global Fund/Gavi and UNDP rapid assessment, which identified critical gaps in the national supply chain. These include limited cold-chain capacity for vaccines, fragmented supply chain systems, low adoption of digital tracking tools and inadequate medical waste management.
The Riverside Warehouse Journey
Lacking a dedicated government budget for storage, UNDP and the Global Fund redirected rental funds from a costly commercial warehouse on Airport Road to refurbish a government-owned facility in Gumbo in 2010. This move has saved approximately US$240,000 annually since July 2010. What began as an abandoned “area” now serves as a model facility, with other UN agencies expressing interest in utilizing the site. It is equipped with: a medical waste incinerator, a medical oxygen production plant and a solar power system for reliable energy.