World Bank approves 50 mln USD food aid for South Sudan

The World Bank has approved a 50 million U.S dollars grant to provide direct food assistance to counter starvation and prevent hunger-related deaths in famine-hit South Sudan.

The World Bank said the Emergency Food and Nutrition Security Project will benefit a segment of the 4.9 million extremely food insecure population in South Sudan, who are currently facing starvation as a result of conflict and drought.

"Ongoing conflict means that households in South Sudan are reportedly relying on desperate measures such as distress sales of productive assets, putting future income streams at risk," said Carolyn Turk, World Bank Country Director for South Sudan said in a statement released on Friday night.

"These circumstances are likely to further reverse any modest gains in poverty reduction that has been registered in the years following independence," she said.

The lender said the Emergency Food and Nutrition Security Project is consistent with the World Bank's engagement in South Sudan, which under the current difficult environment, has been focused on supporting livelihoods and provision of basic social services.

It said the fund will also seek to rejuvenate agricultural production in selected drought affected communities.

World Bank said the fund will be distributed to UN agencies like the WFP, UNICEF and FAO who have deeply been involved in delivering emergency assistance during crisis situations in the war-torn East African nation.

It added that the project will support an integrated nutrition security intervention for children under 5, and pregnant and lactating women.

"We are working closely with the UN partners in delivering our response as we believe that the resolution to this acute crisis will not be possible without all humanitarian and development actors working together," said Sahr Kpundeh, World Bank Country Manager for South Sudan.

Conflict-hit South Sudan is currently battling severe food shortage that emanated from drought unfolding across the Horn of Africa, as well as the continuing armed conflict within the country that has worsened the food security situation by destroying agricultural assets and production within the country.

World Bank said after the declaration of famine in parts of South Sudan in February 2017, the country has been suffering from high inflation, depreciation of local currency and impeding flow of food imports, resulting in increase in food prices.

It said the number of severely food insecure people will increase to 5.5 million people in July at the height of the 2017 lean season and more than 270,000 children are expected to be severely malnourished. Endit