Part of South Sudan is facing a “catastrophic” famine caused by conflict, humanitarian groups warned on Friday.
Three UN agencies have called for an end to the violence to allow urgent access to parts of Jonglei State, where they say people have already run out of food due to insecurity, floods and the coronavirus pandemic.
“We call on all parties to stop the violence and ensure safe humanitarian access, in order to prevent an already serious situation from turning into a complete catastrophe,” said Meshack Malo, South Sudanese representative for the Food Organization. and Agriculture.
Mohamed Ayoya, representative in South Sudan for the UN children’s agency, Unicef, added: “We are extremely concerned about the increasing number of children suffering from severe acute malnutrition. These children need urgent treatment to prevent them from dying. “
A joint statement by UN agencies, including the World Food Program, says that 6.5 million people in South Sudan face severe food insecurity, and the number could rise by almost one million by July.
Last month, the UN allocated $ 7 million (£ 5.2 million) in emergency funds to try to prevent famine in South Sudan.
A recent review of six counties in South Sudan by the integrated classification of the food security phase concluded that parts of Pibor County, Jonglei State, are probably already facing famine.
It is said that the northern states of Bahr el Ghazal and Warrap were on the verge of famine.
James Wani, director of Christian Aid in South Sudan, said: “The floods, conflicts and Covid-19 have come together to wreak havoc and fuel the food crisis; the combined result is the destruction of crops, livelihoods, houses and homes, roads have become impassable, markets have stopped, supply chains have been paralyzed and food prices have risen. “
Both floods and fighting have made it difficult to provide aid to troubled areas. Current levels of aid would not be enough to prevent famine, Christian Aid said.
The charity called on the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office to promote humanitarian access to the affected areas, as well as the implementation of a 2018 UN resolution condemning the deliberate starvation of civilians by the warring parties.
Christian Aid’s senior adviser, Jane Backhurst, said a massive, renewed push was needed to implement the peace process in South Sudan.
The head of the UN mission in South Sudan, David Shearer, told the Security Council week that progress on the peace agreement continues to stagnate, while violence has affected much of the country.
About 2,000 people have been killed in inter-communal violence in the past year, including at least 600 deaths in Jonglei State.
Shearer warned that an increase in violence is likely near the dry season. He said nine humanitarian workers were killed in 2020.
In February, the government of South Sudan and opposition parties announced a transitional government after years of fighting. However, localized conflicts continued.