The United Nations World Food Programme is cutting nearly a third of the people it planned to provide food aid to in South Sudan this year because of lack of funds. This heightens the risk of starvation for 1.7 million people during a year where the country faces “unprecedented” levels of hunger, according to a press release from the organization.
“Humanitarian needs are far exceeding the funding we have received this year. If this continues, we will face bigger and more costly problems in the future, including increased mortality, malnutrition, stunting, and disease,” wrote Adeyinka Badejo, acting country director of WFP in South Sudan.
Sixty percent of the population — or 7.74 million — face severe food insecurity during the lean season between June and August. The organizations said the widespread food insecurity is driven by conflict, flooding, drought, and increasing food prices that have worsened because of the crisis in Ukraine.
Drastic reductions: With the cuts, the organization is prioritizing food assistance for 4.5 million people in 52 counties in the country, which includes 87,000 people already living in “famine-like” conditions.
The organization had tried to avoid this, it said, having reduced rations by half last year. It also cut food assistance for 100,000 displaced individuals.
“More drastic reductions will be unavoidable, unless more funding is received, which will leave vulnerable people unable to meet their basic food needs and reverting to survival strategies such as skipping or reducing meals, selling assets, using child labour and child marriage,” according to the organization.
Cuts across the region: Last week, Devex reported WFP was also forced to make tough choices in prioritization in Somalia, which is facing the worst drought in 40 years. This includes stopping its prevention programming for children under 2 years old, as well as lactating and pregnant mothers, and deprioritizing programming for people in the “crisis” stage of food insecurity.
More reading:
► WFP forced to make ‘hard choices’ as Somalia edges toward famine
► WFP says Syrians at 'breaking point'
► 'A heck of a problem': WFP chief warns of aid crisis amid Ukraine war
About the author
Sara Jervingsarajerving
Sara Jerving is a Senior Reporter at Devex, where she covers global health. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, VICE News, and Bloomberg News among others. Sara holds a master's degree from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism where she was a Lorana Sullivan fellow. She was a finalist for One World Media's Digital Media Award in 2021; a finalist for the Livingston Award for Young Journalists in 2018; and she was part of a VICE News Tonight on HBO team that received an Emmy nomination in 2018. She received the Philip Greer Memorial Award from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in 2014.
