Warning of a major food security and nutrition crisis in South Sudan
PRESS RELEASE
5 February 2014, Rome – FAO today warned of a major food security and nutrition crisis in South Sudan, where some 3.7 million people are now facing acute or emergency levels of food insecurity.
South Sudan
Image/CIA
The Organization is calling for $77 million for critical food security and livelihood support for the crisis-affected population as prices of staple crops soar and basic commodities run out.
UN agencies and NGOs have revised a Crisis Response Plan and are now seeking a total of $1.27 billion to meet urgent humanitarian needs in the first half of 2014.
Up to seven million people are at risk of some level of food insecurity in the world’s newest nation.
“South Sudan was already the scene of one of the world’s largest humanitarian operations before the fighting began, and the situation is now deteriorating rapidly,” said Sue Lautze, FAO Head of Office in South Sudan.
“Markets have collapsed, infrastructure is damaged, foreign traders have fled, commodity supply corridors have been disrupted by violence, and rural populations are unable to bring their crops, livestock and fish to market for sale.”
Agricultural cycle disrupted
Over 870 000 South Sudanese have fled their homes in the last six weeks after fighting broke out in Juba in December and spread across the eastern and central parts of the country.
Displacement has severely disrupted the agricultural cycle and the prevailing situation of severe food insecurity will be further exacerbated if farmers miss the main planting season that begins in March.
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