Tens of thousands of residents in two counties in the Upper Nile State of South Sudan have faced sever hunger, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) warned in a new report released Thursday.
The warning comes amidst increased violence and a worsening food security condition which has 11 out of 13 counties in the state facing emergency levels of hunger and 32,000 of these inhabitants facing catastrophic level hunger conditions, almost three times previous estimates.
“We are seeing the devastating impact conflict has on food security in South Sudan,” said Mary-Ellen McGroarty, Country Director for the World Food Programme (WFP) in South Sudan.
“Conflict doesn’t just destroy homes and livelihoods, it tears communities apart, cuts off access to markets, and sends food prices spiraling upward,” McGroarty said.
In total, 7.7 million people across South Sudan will face acute food insecurity, accounting for over half of the entire population. Additionally, 2.3 million children in South Sudan face malnutrition, a rise from 2.1 million at the beginning of the year.
FAO expects these numbers to increase as the country prepares to enter the lean and wet season which will further diminish food supplies and potentially worsen displacement.
The agency did note that counties in which violence has been largely absent have seen improvements in food insecurity as a result of increased crop production and humanitarian efforts. However, hunger continues.
Despite such ongoing challenges, Meshack Malo, the country representative of FAO in South Sudan, said that these results are proof of the “dividends of peace.”
MG/abj/APA