December 20th 2019 (Nyamilepedia) – A United Nations agency said on Thursday that it needs $270 million to avert what it said is a looming famine in South Sudan where starvation threatens more than half of its population.
The World Food Programme’s (WFP) Executive Director, David Beasley, disclosed during a press conference in Juba on Thursday that the UN agency remained $270 million short of the $697 million required to preposition food before the coming dry season.
“South Sudan risks facing famine again if the funds are not secured within the next few days. The UN agencies and the government declared famine in mid-2017,” Beasley told reporters in Juba Thursday adding that this will enable food agency reach nearly a million people affected by floods which hit most parts of the country since July.
“We are now appealing to the donors that please, we cannot turn our back on the innocent families and children out there. Failure to raise the money we need during this crisis period very well could mean loss of lives,” he added.
According to the UNOCHA, almost 1 million South Sudanese have been affected by heavy rainfall and subsequent flooding, of whom 620,000 needed urgent humanitarian assistance.
