More than half of the people in South Sudan could face hunger in the upcoming months, during the season with the highest food insecurity risks, three UN agencies said in a report published on Thursday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 20th February, 2020) More than half of the people in South Sudan could face hunger in the upcoming months, during the season with the highest food insecurity risks, three UN agencies said in a report published on Thursday.
According to the report compiled by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the United Nations Children's Fund and the World Food Programme, in cooperation with the South Sudanese government, some 6.5 out of 11 million people living in the country face risks of hunger due to the consequences of insecurity and the economic crisis, as well as last year's floods.
Of these, 20,000 people living in the counties of Akobo, Duk and Ayod are expected to face the most severe, "catastrophe" level of hunger through April, while another 1.7 million people in 33 counties across the country face an emergency level of food insecurity through July, the report says.
However, the situation has slightly improved compared to last year, when 6.9 million South Sudanese people faced hunger risks, as the country has seen a period of relative peace and stability, it says.
In response to the food crisis in South Sudan, the three UN agencies pledged to continue a number of aid measures, including food assistance, treatment, support to agriculture and providing help to flood-affected families. They appealed for a combined $536 million needed for their 2020 response programs.
