NAIROBI, Nov. 13 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations children's fund (UNICEF) has urged for more action to be taken in southern Sudan to stop severe food shortage in parts of that region.
UNICEF's Deputy Executive Director Hilde F. Johnson who visited in the vast region said now is the time to act.
"Now is the time to act. Everybody needs to do their best to stop this humanitarian emergency, which is already affecting 1.5 million people across southern Sudan," said Johnson in a statement received here Friday.
Poor rains in several states of southern Sudan have led to severe food shortage. This situation has been exacerbated by increased levels of insecurity particularly in Jonglei
"We welcome the World Food Program's immediate response to the problems and appeal for donors and the government of southern Sudan to also increase their assistance," Johnson said, adding that more resources are needed now to tackle the food shortages.
During her three-day fact-finding mission, Johnson visited communities in Jonglei State which has been the hardest hit by the lack of food.
She traveled to Malakal, Akobo and Bor, where she visited therapeutic feeding centres and saw for herself the impact of food shortage on mothers and severely malnourished children.
"Children are the most vulnerable to nutritional shocks and they are the first to succumb when there is not enough food in the home or the community," she noted.
Johnson added that a child with severe acute malnutrition has a25-50 percent chance of dying unless properly treated and given timely access to therapeutic foods. Malnourished children are also more susceptible to disease.
In response to the crisis, UNICEF has provided therapeutic food through its partners which has been used to treat severely malnourished children in 79 UNICEF supported therapeutic outreach centres across southern Sudan.
UNICEF has also trained 108 health workers on the management of severe acute malnutrition and another 122 community workers on surveillance and screening.
