August 1st 2019 (Nyamilepedia) – According to a new study released on Wednesday, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) estimated that over 85 percent of South Sudan’s 12 million population is on the verge of experiencing severe food insecurity due to continued violence and drought.
“Severe drought and ongoing violence in East Africa has put 8.7 million people in Somalia and South Sudan at risk of severe food insecurity,” the aid agency said in a statement.
The international aide group called for early intervention and humanitarian assistance to help alleviate the looming famine in South Sudan.
“The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is calling for early action and increased support to avert famine, especially in South Sudan and Somalia,” it said.
“The failure of the long rains in Somalia and impact of the war in South Sudan have led to massive displacement, limiting agriculture opportunities, increasing food prices and inflation,” it added.
It further said “After more than five years of conflict, South Sudan remains one of the most food-insecure countries in the world. Almost 7 million people are severely food insecure, the highest in the country’s history, and 21,000 people are likely living in famine conditions.”
The aid agency noted that children in South Sudan are susceptible to acute malnutrition and that about 860,000 of them are on the brink of facing catastrophic levels of malnutrition.
“Food insecurity hits children the hardest. 860,000 children in South Sudan and nearly 1 million in Somalia are expected to suffer from acute malnutrition this year,” the aid agency said.
