UN agencies have estimated that 1.3 million children will suffer from acute malnutrition in 2020.
This came during the release of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification or IPC report, by South Sudan, Food and Agriculture Organization or FAO, United Nations Children Fund, or UNICEF and World Food Program, or WFP.
Deputy Chairman of National Bureau of Statistics, John Maciek Acuoth explains that children aged between 6 to 59 months are going to suffer from acute malnutrition.
‘The nutrition situation at the peak of the 2019 lean season showed a deterioration compared to the same time last year, with Renk Country in former Upper Nile State recording an extreme critical levels of acute malnutrition and needs urgent attention. It is projected that an estimated 1.3 million children aged between 6 to 59 months are likely to suffer from acute malnutrition in 2020’ says Maciek.
Maciek mentions Greater Upper Nile and Warrap States facing acute malnutrition.
He adds that ‘Based on the just concluded analysis, the highest burden of acute malnutrition is in greater Upper Nile and Warrap States, thus requiring special focus to address the underlying causes’.
WFP Country Director, Mathew Hollingsworth calls on South Sudanese to give peace a chance to fight food insecurity in the country.
The IPC report also estimates that 6.35 million people are still severely food insecure.
‘The latest analysis indicates that by the end of August 2019, an estimated 6.5 million people are still severely food insecure. Among whom, an estimate of 1.7 million are in emergency and 10,000 are in catastrophe. The people in catastrophe are found in Yirol East of former Lakes State and are in need of urgent humanitarian support to save their lives,’ John Maciek emphasizes.
Despite the food insecurity, the revitalized peace agreement has slightly improved the situation.
FAO representative, Meshack Malo calls for stability in order to improve the food insecurity in the country.