Africa-Press – South-Sudan. More than half of the population of South Sudan is experiencing severe food insecurity amid a worsening humanitarian crisis due to renewed fighting and deteriorating security conditions, according to the latest estimates from a local source.
The World Food Programme reported a severe shortage of resources, with over 56% of the country’s approximately 13 million residents facing acute food insecurity.
The local source warned that the threat of hunger looms over large parts of the country as the 2018 peace agreement collapses and violence resurfaces.
Although access to humanitarian aid has improved in some opposition-controlled areas following the reopening of humanitarian routes in recent weeks, the programme stated that it requires $266 million to prevent the humanitarian crisis from worsening and to reach the most affected populations.
A spokesperson for the World Food Programme in South Sudan expressed deep concern about the conditions of people trapped in remote areas, where hunger and malnutrition are expected to worsen.
He added that four counties are at risk of famine if the current situation continues to deteriorate, noting that residents in these areas are caught between floods and conflict lines.
The spokesperson explained that the programme is racing against time to deliver food assistance via rivers, roads, and air transport, but faces significant challenges due to limited funding.
He indicated that approximately 7.8 million people need humanitarian assistance, while current resources allow targeting only 4.2 million people, leaving a substantial gap in the humanitarian response.
He also warned that funding shortages may force the programme to make difficult decisions regarding aid distribution priorities, highlighting that rising fuel costs linked to regional tensions and disruptions in navigation through the Strait of Hormuz add new financial burdens on the agency, estimated at about $3.2 million per month, at a time when it is already suffering from severe funding shortages.
