Halvdelen af den nye nations indbyggere kan blive ramt af mangel på mad i år, alt imens flygtningestrømmene og nye udslag af vold tager til, lyder det samstemmende fra FN-organisationer.
JUBA, 20 February 2012 (IRIN) – An already dire food situation in South Sudan could deteriorate amid growing economic problems, food shortages and a mass influx of people fleeing Sudan in the next two months, agencies warn.
The UN World Food Programme (WFP) and Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) said that in South Sudan’s first year of statehood, half the population of about nine million people could face hunger.
Their Crop and Food Security Assessment report shows that for 2012, 4,7 million people will be food-insecure, up 1,4 million from last year, and the number of severely food-insecure will hit almost one million from 900.000 in 2011.
South Sudan will only produce about half the food it needs, with a cereal deficit of 470.000 metric tons due to erratic rains and internal conflict displacing many away from fields.
Last month, a huge wave of ethnic violence in South Sudan’s largest state, Jonglei, affected more than 140.000 people and until peace talks are organized, the situation remains precarious.
In addition to a poor harvest, huge waves of returnees from Sudan or refugees fleeing violence across the border have compounded food shortages.
“If conflict continues to cause major population displacements and food prices keep rising, the report estimates that the number of people who are severely food-insecure could double,” a joint FAO-WFP statement warned.
“This is a rapidly approaching crisis that the world cannot afford to ignore,” said Chris Nikoi, WFP’s country director in South Sudan.
South Sudan’s Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Joseph Lual Achuil, urged people to try to salvage what they could from the planting season before the rains come or 1,7 million people would be “severely affected by starvation”.
“If we do not do our best in order to rescue the situation now, 4,7 million will be without food, and if they are without food before the rain, after the rain what is going to happen? We are going to have a disaster,” he said.
Time and money running out
Læs videre på
