UN decries extreme levels of food insecurity, malnutrition in South Sudan

JUBA: The world should not turn a blind eye on South Sudan where climate change, conflict and economic hardship are pushing millions of people further into food insecurity, the UN warned.

Reena Ghelani, UN Famine Prevention and Response Coordinator, and Marie Helene Verney, acting Humanitarian Coordinator in South Sudan, said on Monday in a joint statement issued in Juba, the capital of South Sudan, that extreme levels of food insecurity and malnutrition make South Sudan one of the worst food insecurity emergencies in the world.

Verney called for sustained support, noting that South Sudan needs urgent access to climate funds for its people to find long-term solutions and adapt to the crisis, Xinhua news agency reported.

"South Sudan is on the frontline of climate change. Last year, one million people were affected by floods, many were forced to move elsewhere in the country, others have had to find new sources of livelihoods, often requiring a rapid change in centuries-old customs," she said.

Humanitarian actors have estimated that nine million people would need support in 2024.

Of those, humanitarians plan to target six million people with life-saving support and require $1.8 billion. But the UN officials said early funding is crucial to help people build resilience ahead of the lean season.

According to the UN, an estimated 1.6 million children (6-59 months) are expected to suffer from acute malnutrition from July 2023 to June 2024.

"We must invest in sustainable and long-term solutions to build a famine-free future in South Sudan," said Ghelani, who was in South Sudan last week to meet with government officials, communities affected by the crisis, and partners supporting the response.

"We can't let people starve on our watch. I have seen how women and young people can produce their own food and become self-sufficient when provided with the right support. We must invest in sustainable and long-term solutions to build a famine-free future in South Sudan," she added.

Already, about 25,000 people -- including many of the refugees fleeing the conflict in Sudan -- are experiencing catastrophic levels of hunger, said the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC 5). It warned that the number could rise to nearly 80,000 in the coming months unless urgent support is provided.

A total of 7.1 million people are experiencing high levels of food insecurity (IPC3+), the highest percentage in the world, according to IPC.

Ghelani, who also visited Bentiu, Unity State, one of the regions most affected by flooding with the highest prevalence of malnutrition, said despite the dire situation, resilience building projects using climate-smart agriculture have helped communities generate income and improve their lives.

The UN said the South Sudanese are facing the cumulative and compounding effects of multiple inter-connected crises: insecurity and conflict -- including the spillover effects of the crisis in Sudan, climate shocks such as flooding and localised drought-like conditions, and an economic crisis driven by currency depreciation and rising commodities prices.

The humanitarians are forced to halve rations and reduce their support due to funding cuts, the UN said.