According to the United Nations, approximately eight million South Sudanese, or two-thirds of the population, are at risk of food insecurity and famine.
“Hunger and malnutrition are on the rise in flood-, drought-, and conflict-affected areas of South Sudan, and some communities are at risk of famine unless humanitarian assistance is sustained and climate adaptation measures are strengthened,” according to a new report released on Thursday.
According to the joint report by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and the World Food Programme (WFP), the proportion of people facing severe food insecurity and malnutrition “has never been higher,” surpassing levels witnessed even during the violence in 2013 and 2016.
According to the report, 7.76 million people would face acute food insecurity during the lean season, which runs from April to July 2023, and 1.4 million children will be malnourished.
The research attributes the reduction to a combination of violence, poor macroeconomic conditions, harsh weather occurrences, soaring food and fuel prices, and a decrease in financing for humanitarian operations.
Last month, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) estimated that about 909,000 people were affected by floods in South Sudan, where heavy rains destroyed crops and homes.
Since it broke away from Sudan in 2011, South Sudan has had to deal with violent fighting, natural disasters, a bad economy, and constant political upheaval. It has been at war for more than half of its history, with approximately 400,000 people killed during a five-year civil war that concluded in 2018.