More than 5 million people in need of food aid in South Sudan

Millions in South Sudan are going hungry and there are several factors to blame. “Drought, floods, sometimes even lack of interest, there are some people who are getting used to getting relief and therefore they don’t see any reason why they should be cultivating.” said Dr Lam Akol, Minister of Agriculture, South Sudan.

War certainly has its part to play too. More than 2 million South Sudanese are displaced because of the fighting. The formation of the unity government may have ended the war but the humanitarian situation remains a full-blown crisis.

“People are feeling the pinch of the bad weather condition which led to failed harvest, they are feeling the pinch of the economic collapse in the country which means they don’t have enough money to buy food if they found it in the market and if they find food or anything in the market, it’s so expensive.” Said George Fominyen, Spokesperson World Food Programme.

Government says it has strategies in place to address the crisis. “We are talking about an integrated comprehensive agricultural policy, that takes care of the subsistence level in the short term but you are getting to developmental level where you have to produce more than you consume so that it commercialize, it’s sold to get you more income.” said Dr Lam Akol, Minister of Agriculture, South Sudan.

But without a proper agricultural base, South Sudan depends on food imports -and with soaring inflation, a collapsed economy, and the after-effects of a vicious war, fewer and fewer South Sudanese can afford to eat

Source: cctv-africa.com