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FAO warns of over 3.7 million South Sudanese facing food crisis
by Joseph Earnest February 6, 2014
Newscast
Media JUBA, Sudan—The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has
warned that 3.7 million South Sudanese are facing an acute or emergency
food security crisis, as an aftermath of the civil war than broke out in
the new nation on December 15, 2013. Up to seven million people are at risk of some level of food insecurity in the world’s newest nation.
"South
Sudan was already the scene of one of the world's largest humanitarian
operations before the fighting began, and the situation is now
deteriorating rapidly," said Sue Lautze, FAO Head of Office in South
Sudan.
"Markets have collapsed, infrastructure is damaged,
foreign traders have fled, commodity supply corridors have been
disrupted by violence, and rural populations are unable to bring their
crops, livestock and fish to market for sale."
Over 870 000 South Sudanese have fled their homes in the last six weeks
after fighting broke out in Juba in December and spread across the
eastern and central parts of the country.
Displacement has
severely disrupted the agricultural cycle and the prevailing situation
of severe food insecurity will be further exacerbated if farmers miss
the main planting season that begins in March. FAO plans to minimize the environmental impact of improvised
settlements, for example by introducing fuel-efficient stoves to reduce
the use of firewood and charcoal.
To date, FAO has received $4.25 million of the $77 million needed to implement the emergency response plan.
*Click here to read or download the entire FAO assessment of S. Sudan (pop-up)
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