Three United Nations or UN agencies including Food and Agriculture Organization; FAO, Children’s Fund; UNICEF and World Food Programme or WFP on Thursday warn that extreme hunger is pushing South Sudanese to the brink of catastrophe.
A joint statement says new Integrated Food Security Phase Classification or IPC analysis found that 3.9 million people nationwide now face severe food insecurity.
The UN agencies call on South Sudan government and SPLM/A-In-Opposition to grant urgent unrestricted access to Unity State where IPC analysis shows at least 30 thousand people are living in extreme conditions; facing starvation and death.
WFP South Sudan Director Joyce Luma says ‘The people of South Sudan need peace, nutritious food and other humanitarian assistance and livelihood support to survive and rebuild their lives”.
UNICEF Representative in South Sudan Jonathan Veitch says families have been extraordinarily trying to sustain children, but have now exhausted all coping mechanisms, warning that without humanitarian access, many children may die.
Head of FAO in South Sudan Serge Tissot says ‘Livelihoods have been severely affected by high inflation rates, market disruption, conflict-related displacement and loss of livestock and agricultural production’.
The UN agencies call on the international community to provide resources needed to sustain and expand lifesaving efforts in South Sudan as neighbouring countries such as Uganda, Sudan and Ethiopia are expected to have low average cereal production this year to worsen food import bill in the country.