South Sudanese families fleeing conflict face impending hunger emergency.
The World Food Programme (WFP) on Tuesday, 2nd October, 2023 warned about a looming hunger emergency for South Sudanese families who are fleeing the war in Sudan.
According to WFP, the region along the boundary of South Sudan and Sudan is facing a critical food shortage. A concerning number of individuals, approximately 300,000, have migrated to South Sudan within the past five months. Shockingly, one out of every five children among them suffers from malnutrition, and a staggering 90% of families report enduring multiple days without food.
Mary-Ellen McGroarty, WFP’s Country Director in South Sudan stated that, "We are seeing families leave one disaster for another as they flee danger in Sudan only to find despair in South Sudan,”
Families who escaped from Sudan are often victims of robbery and violence, arriving in a vulnerable state and with only the clothes they were wearing. The current wave of arrivals is even more susceptible than those who fled during the initial stages of the conflict.
At the border, the WFP is offering food aid to address the urgent requirements of families. They are distributing warm meals, high-energy biscuits, dry rations, and cash transfers. Additionally, they are providing specific nutritional assistance to children and mothers.
Ms. McGroarty also stated that there are not enough resources to provide life-saving assistance to those who need it the most. The World Food Programme (WFP) is in immediate need of over $120 million to increase assistance in the coming months. Adequate funding is also crucial to aid individuals in transitioning away from the densely populated border region and providing support to those who are returning to their homeland, having never resided there before, as they begin to reconstruct their lives.
According to United Nations data, Sudan has experienced a prolonged conflict since April, resulting in a significant number of casualties and displacements. The fighting involves the army, commanded by Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who leads the Sovereign Council of Sudan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) headed by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.
The clashes emerged following a period of prolonged uncertainty and numerous political upheavals in the country.
