JUBA, June 29 (Xinhua) -- Three UN agencies on Wednesday warned of severe food insecurity in South Sudan as about 4.8 million people are in urgent need of food, agriculture and nutrition assistance amid risk of catastrophe in some parts of the country.
The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World Food Program (WFP) said in a joint report that the figure in those in need of food aid represents the highest level of hunger since the conflict in South Sudan began in late 2013.
WFP Country Director Joyce Luma said there are sharp spikes of need in new areas, such as Eastern Equatoria or Western Bahr el-Ghazal, where malnutrition rates in some places are reaching dangerous levels.
"We have started ramping up food and nutrition support, but much more is needed to keep things from deteriorating even further during the lean season," Luma added.
WFP plans to assist 3.3 million people in South Sudan this year through a combination of emergency food assistance, lifesaving nutrition support for mothers and young children.
The UN agencies stressed that while the deteriorating situation coincides with an unusually long and harsh annual lean season, when families have depleted their food stocks and new harvests are not expected until August, the level of food insecurity this year is unprecedented.
According to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification Update released by the government, the three agencies and other humanitarian partners, 4.8 million people are projected to be in need of urgent food, agriculture and nutrition assistance through July, up from 4.3 million in April.
This number does not include 350,000 residents of the UN Protection of Civilians areas or other camps for displaced people, who currently are entirely dependent on humanitarian assistance.
"We are very worried to see that food insecurity is spreading beyond conflict areas as rising prices, impassable roads and dysfunctional markets are preventing many families, even those in towns and cities, from accessing food," FAO Country Representative Serge Tissot said.
FAO is planning to provide emergency livelihood support to 3.1 million people in South Sudan. It is currently distributing over half a million crop and fishing kits and is assisting livestock production through the vaccination of some 11 million animals.
Food insecurity and conflict are also forcing many families to leave South Sudan for neighbouring countries.
In the last few months alone, an estimated 100,000 South Sudanese people have crossed into Sudan, Kenya, the DRC and Uganda, and this number is expected to increase to more than 150,000 by the end of June.
Mahimbo Mdoe, UNICEF's Representative in South Sudan said the levels of malnutrition among children continue to be truly alarming.
"Since the beginning of the year more than 100,000 children have been treated for severe malnutrition. That's a 40 percent increase compared to the same period last year, and a 150 percent increase since 2014," Mdoe said.
