With the risk of famine increasing, South Sudan needs more than $400 million.

On November 1st, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) issued an urgent appeal for $404 million to support humanitarian aid operations in South Sudan over the next year amid rising famine.

A view of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees transit center in Renk, South Sudan. (Source: theglobeandmail)

Shaun Hughes, Acting Director of WFP in South Sudan, stressed the need for donors to quickly contribute to food preparations, avoiding a surge in relief costs in the coming months. He warned that converting donated funds into food would take months, while South Sudan's limited road network would be hampered as the monsoon season approaches, particularly in the eastern and central regions.

According to a WFP report, 56% of South Sudan's population currently faces severe food insecurity. The situation is likely to worsen as the famine season, marked by food shortages during the monsoon season, is expected to begin in May 2025. Causes of this include high food prices, a severe economic crisis, conflict and instability, as well as pressure from cross-border migration from Sudan and the impact of flooding.

The World Food Programme (WFP) says it currently has no food reserves in South Sudan to prepare for humanitarian response operations in the coming year. Without securing the necessary funding soon, the organization will have to resort to costly relief measures, such as airdrops, to reach communities isolated by floods, where people rely on aid for their livelihoods.

Receiving timely donations will help WFP prepare food in advance and transport it by road to remote areas before the monsoon season begins. This is a critical requirement given the increasingly serious food security situation in South Sudan.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/nguy-co-nan-doi-dang-gia-tang-nam-sudan-can-hon-400-trieu-usd-292331.html