The already dire hunger crisis in South Sudan is becoming increasingly critical as violence, extreme weather and dwindling aid leave millions without enough food, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) warned on Tuesday.
Key points:
- 7.8 million South Sudanese face high levels of acute food insecurity.
- El Niño is already threatening farming output.
- Sudan’s war is driving more refugees and returnees into South Sudan.
- Funding shortages and access constraints threaten life-saving food assistance.
“Conflict, displacement, economic hardship, climate shocks, and the situation in neighbouring Sudan are all converging to push millions of people deeper into vulnerability” just as humanitarian resources are starting to run out, said Matthew Hollingworth, WFP Assistant Executive Director for Programme Operations.
Some 7.8 million people, or more than half of the country’s population, struggle to find enough food each day, while 2.2 million children and 1.2 million pregnant and breastfeeding mothers require urgent nutrition support, he told reporters in Geneva.
by UN News – ‘Super El Niño’ deepens hunger crisis in South Sudan – WFP
