South Sudan
Faced with poor harvests, high food prices and conflict, the people of South Sudan are facing an escalating hunger crisis. Unless swift action is taken, millions of people risk going hungry.
As conflict has forced people from their homes and food prices continue to rise, the number of people who are severely food-insecure could double. Chris Nikoi, WFP’s country director in South Sudan explains, “This is a rapidly approaching crisis. The situation is dire, we are running out of time.”
South Sudan’s cereal harvest in 2011 was 19 percent smaller than in 2010 and 25% smaller than the five-year average. Poor rainfall is largely responsible for this shrink in agricultural production, but conflict is also pushing farmers off their land. Ordinarily food markets would help to fill this gap, but closed border crossings between South Sudan and Sudan have disrupted the flow of food.
WFP is aiming to reach some 2.7 million vulnerable people with 150,000 metric tons of food. Learn more