The situation in South Sudan is quickly becoming a humanitarian emergency. The U.N. has announced that part of the country is now officially suffering from a famine, and millions of people are in danger. One Unicef official told The New York Times,
[/lborder]According to the U.N., 100,000 people are currently on the verge of starvation with another 4.9 million in “urgent need” of food. [twitter]Over a quarter of a million children are already severely malnourished. If we do not reach these children with urgent aid, many of them will die.
[/twitter]Famine has gripped parts of #SouthSudan. Nearly 5M men, women and kids need food, agriculture & nutrition assistance https://t.co/KqFxZnqLtg pic.twitter.com/gOZeYXKZiB
— World Food Programme (@WFP) February 20, 2017
Those effected in the northern region of the young country live in an area that has suffered through three years of on-going ethnic violence, with fighting between rebel forces and the government claiming the lives of thousands. In recent months there have been reports of widespread rape, war crimes and murders. The fighting has hampered communities’ ability to operate farms and provide food.
Currently, humanitarian aid groups have had trouble reaching the people effected by the critical food shortage—many of whom are children—because of attacks on aid convoys. Groups including Oxfam, World Vision, the World Food Program and others continue to seek support in order to deliver life-saving aid to the people in need.
[twitter][/twitter]Lona & 1-yr.-old twins are just 3 of nearly 5 million people (42% of country's pop.) facing food shortage & malnutrition in #SouthSudan pic.twitter.com/JEKlvXO2gI
— World Vision (@WorldVision) February 20, 2017
