Global charity says 1 mln South Sudanese children at risk of starvation

International charity, Save the Children, said on Tuesday that more than one million children in war-torn South Sudan risk starvation after famine was declared in the country's Unity State.

Peter Walsh, Save the Children's Country Director in South Sudan, said children, particularly under-fives, are the most at risk of dying as they are less able to withstand acute malnutrition and are more susceptible to diseases.

"While the threat of a famine in South Sudan has been looming for months, the worst-case scenario has now become a devastating reality in parts of the country," Walsh said in a statement issued in Juba.

"In the coming months, famine could spread to other parts of the country, where millions of vulnerable children and families now risk starving to death," he added.

The latest government and Famine Early Warning Systems figures predict that 4.9 million people (nearly half the country's population) will be in a food crisis across the country, many of them close to famine level, between now and April.

This includes at least one million children. That figure is expected to jump to 5.5 million people at the height of the lean season in July.

The number of people facing emergency food crisis levels is up by 36 percent, making this the worst harvest season since South Sudan became the world's newest nation in 2011.

"There is still time to save countless lives, but only if the international community acts now to step up its funding efforts. Delays will surely spell catastrophe and death for whole communities hit by drought and conflict," Walsh said.

The conflict in South Sudan has had a devastating impact on food security.

Since the outbreak of renewed fighting in Juba in July last year, the conflict has now spread to other parts of the country including Central and Eastern Equatoria -- an area often described as South Sudan's food basket.

Save the Children said it's responding to the hunger crisis in South Sudan through mass screening for malnutrition, running feeding programs and stabilization health centers, follow up outpatient programs and training community nutrition workers to do home visits.

The aid agency is also training farmers with improved farming techniques and providing them with staple crop seeds, as well as providing mothers at nutrition centers with short cycle crops and vegetable seeds.

South Sudan is need of 1.6 billion U.S. dollars to provide life-saving assistance and protection to more than 7.5 million people across South Sudan in 2017. Endit