from RAJI BASHIR in Khartoum, Sudan
Sudan Bureau
KHARTOUM, (CAJ News) – MORE than 1,7 million people are at risk of starvation after the World Food Programme (WFP) suspended food assistance in South Sudan.
The agency has made the decision because of insufficient funds.
This comes as the country faces its worst hunger in history, having attained independence in 2011 as the world’s newest country.
Over 60 percent of the 11,4 million-population is enduring severe food insecurity during the lean season, fuelled by continuing conflict, severe flooding, localized drought, and soaring food prices exacerbated by the crisis in Ukraine.
WFP’s crisis response and resilience-building development programmes are drastically underfunded this year. WFP requires US$426 million to reach six million food insecure people through 2022.
“We are extremely concerned about the impact of the funding cuts on children, women and men who will not have enough to eat during the lean season,” said Adeyinka Badejo, Acting Country Director of WFP in South Sudan.
“These families have completely exhausted their coping strategies. They need immediate humanitarian assistance to put food on the table in the short-term and to rebuild their livelihoods and resilience to cope with future shocks,” Badejo said.
WFP has previously halved rations in 2021.
A WFP food ration includes cereals, pulses, vegetable oil and salt.
– CAJ News