Almost eight million people in South Sudan, or two-thirds of the population in the deeply troubled country, are at risk of severe hunger, the United Nations warned on Thursday.
Women unload bags of sorghum from a WFP truck in South Sudan. (Photo: CGTN/AFP)
The misery in the nation is being compounded by widespread flooding which has now affected more than one million people, according to the UN.
"Hunger and malnutrition are on the rise across the flood, drought, and conflict-affected areas of South Sudan, with some communities likely to face starvation if humanitarian assistance is not sustained and climate adaptation measures are not scaled-up," the UN said.
In a joint report, the Food and Agriculture Organization, the UN children's fund UNICEF and the World Food Programme said the proportion of people facing high levels of food insecurity and malnourishment "is at the highest level ever", surpassing levels seen even during the conflict in 2013 and 2016.
The report said 7.76 million people are likely to face acute food insecurity during the April-July 2023 lean season while 1.4 million children will be malnourished.
