WFP Suspends Food Aid Due To Lack Of Funds, 6.2 Million South Sudanese Threatened To Starve

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JAKARTA - The World Food Program (WFP) said it had suspended some food aid in South Sudan due to a lack of funds. These conditions increase the threat of starvation for 1.7 million people in the country of 6.2 million people.

The move to suspend aid for the UN agency came as food prices soared due to the Russo-Ukrainian war, leaving humanitarian agencies short on funds.

This condition is exacerbated by conflicts and natural disasters, such as floods and droughts, which are triggered by climate change.

As a result, more than 60 percent of South Sudan's population faces food insecurity.

"South Sudan is facing its worst year of famine since independence. We are already in a crisis, but we are trying to prevent the situation from getting worse," Adeyinka Badejo-Sanogo, WFP's acting chief representative in South Sudan, told the press in Geneva, Tuesday, June 14. reported by Reuters via Antara.

Badejo-Sanogo, speaking from Juba, the capital of South Sudan, said WFP urgently needed US$426 million (Rp6.28 trillion) to meet its needs over the next six months.

The funds are also needed to prevent "explosive situations", he said.

The WFP said it had run out of options so it suspended food aid. In 2021, the agency will carry out food rationing.

After the suspension, the WFP said, it hopes to help 4.5 million South Sudanese in need, including 87,000 who have experienced starvation-like conditions.