Severe Famine Threatens 6.35Mln In South Sudan, Over Half Of Population - UN

Death from starvation and nutrition-related disease threatens more than half of South Sudan's population of 11 million, despite indications of improving food security resulting from a recent peace agreement, a report by three United Nations agencies warned on Wednesday

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 11th September, 2019) Death from starvation and nutrition-related disease threatens more than half of South Sudan's population of 11 million, despite indications of improving food security resulting from a recent peace agreement, a report by three United Nations agencies warned on Wednesday.

"In spite of a slight improvement in the food security situation since June 2019, more than half the population of South Sudan - some 6.35 million people - do not know where their next meal will come from," the World Food Program (WFP) said in a press release announcing the release of the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report.

The report also estimated that 10,000 people, about 90 percent of the population, face famine-like conditions, in which starvation, death and severe malnutrition are present.

However, delivery of humanitarian assistance is improving due to year-old power sharing agreement between warring factions, while a decline in fighting has allowed farmers to plant new crops, the report said.

In September 2018, South Sudan President Salva Kiir, signed a power-sharing deal with rebel leader Riek Machar to end the nation's five year civil war, and on Monday, the two leaders signed a formal peace agreement.

The report is the result of a collaborative effort between the government of South Sudan, WFP, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization and the UN Children's Fund.