UN: 7.2 million in South Sudan face urgent food crisis, nearly half the population

Geneva, May 29 (SANA)    The United Nations warned Friday that more than 7.2 million people in South Sudan are in urgent and acute need of food assistance, representing nearly half of the country’s population as it continues to grapple with complex humanitarian and security conditions.

AFP quoted the World Food Programme’s director in South Sudan, Mutinta Chimuka, as saying that 7.2 million people are in acute and urgent need of food aid, warning of a sharp rise in acute malnutrition among children under five and breastfeeding mothers.

The WFP said in a statement that the situation is critical and requires immediate intervention to save lives, noting that hundreds of thousands of residents in Jonglei State are facing catastrophic levels of hunger and malnutrition, including approximately 12,000 people suffering from extreme food insecurity.

South Sudan continues to face worsening security and humanitarian challenges amid ongoing tensions and clashes between government and opposition forces, as international calls grow for greater stability and unimpeded access for humanitarian aid.

KhA