A new report reveals that South Sudan ‘is likely’ in famine

 

According to a new report by International food security experts, one county in South Sudan is likely in famine and tens of thousands of people in five other counties are on the brink of starvation.

Western Pibor county is feared to have reached that crisis level, the result of massive flooding and deadly violence that has prevented access to aid.

The new report stops short of declaring famine, which would kick aid efforts into higher gear, because of insufficient data. But based on available information, famine is thought to be occurring, according to the Famine Review Committee report released by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification.

That means at least 20 percent of households are facing extreme food gaps and at least 30% of children are acutely malnourished.

“Considering all the evidence available, famine is most likely ongoing, and we expect a high rate of death in that area,” said Chris Newton, a former U.N. World Food Program staffer with years of experience in South Sudan.

“The condition is catastrophic, and the humanitarian community and the government will have to scale up our assistance,” said Meshack Malo, country representative for the U.N.’s Food and Agriculture Organization.

Aid workers worry that already challenging humanitarian access will become more difficult in these hungry areas. The report says there is less than a 50 percent chance that planned food assistance will be delivered to the affected areas in the months ahead.

South Sudan’s government did not endorse the report. In a statement earlier this week, it urged caution in claiming famine conditions and said any famine occurring on the government and aid community’s watch is a “testament of failure by both parties.”