Roundup: UN food agency warns hunger reaches record level in South Sudan

The World Food Programme ( WFP) warned on Wednesday that about 4.6 million people, or 40 percent of South Sudan's estimated population, face acute hunger in the next three months and will require urgent lifesaving food or livelihoods assistance.

"Unrelenting conflict and the onset of the lean season are intensifying alarming levels of hunger -- both in conflict- affected areas and in other parts of the country," UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said at a daily news briefing here.

"The lack of funding and limited humanitarian access continues to affect relief agencies' ability to meet the escalating needs," the spokesman said. "Currently, the funding shortfall for WFP only amounts to 230 million U.S. dollars for food and nutrition assistance."

The latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analysis, released on Wednesday in Juba, capital of South Sudan, confirmed fears that unrelenting conflict and the onset of the lean season are intensifying alarming levels of hunger -- both in conflict-affected areas and in other parts of the country.

"Millions of people in South Sudan are trapped by a terrible mix of brutal conflict, rising hunger and a deepening economic crisis," said Joyce Luma, WFP's representative and country director in South Sudan. "A staggering number of people are going hungry. This analysis is a chilling reminder to the world that South Sudan cannot be forgotten."

Meanwhile, WFP is also concerned that deteriorating economic conditions could quickly make things even worse.

The direst conditions are in the three conflict-affected states of Jonglei, Upper Nile and Unity, where fighting continues to displace large numbers of people in very remote areas.

Conflict prevents people from growing food and disrupts markets. Along with harassment by parties to the conflict, it also limits humanitarian agencies' ability to reach those in need.

Food insecurity is also deepening in states that were not directly affected by conflict, such as Warrap and Northern Bahr el Ghazal, where high food prices, rising inflation, depreciation of the local currency and diminishing purchasing power are pushing many families closer to the brink.

South Sudan plunged into violence in December 2013, when fighting erupted between troops loyal to President Salva Kiir and defectors led by his former deputy-turned foe Riek Machar around the capital of the world's youngest country.

The conflict soon turned into an all-out war between the army and defectors, with the violence taking on an ethnic dimension that pitted the president's Dinka tribe against Machar's Nuer ethnic group.

The clashes have left thousands of South Sudanese dead and forced around 1.9 million people to flee homes in the country.

"The needs are overwhelming at a time when resources are short. We need significantly more funding, not only to continue our existing assistance but also to scale up to support more people as the situation worsens," said Luma. "We are now having to prioritize our assistance to focus on the most critical needs, and without additional resources those decisions will only get more difficult, and more people may have to go without help."

The WFP is using all means at its disposal -- including airdrops, river boats, and distributions of food, cash or vouchers -- to reach hungry people in conflict zones with life-saving emergency food and nutrition. The agency is supporting vulnerable families in other parts of South Sudan with programs to improve food security, including school meals and asset-creation initiatives.

The IPC analysis was conducted by food security and humanitarian assessment specialists from a number of aid and development agencies, along with technical experts from the South Sudanese government.

According to the analysis, famine is not predicted anywhere in South Sudan in the next three months, but it will become a serious risk in some areas later in the year unless adequate humanitarian assistance can be delivered. Endite