South Sudan Must Urgently Address Humanitarian Needs: US

By Awan Achiek

The U.S. Embassy in South Sudan has called on the government to take urgent action to address humanitarian needs in the country.

The embassy made this call on eve yesterday on the eve of the International World Food Day.

World Food Day is celebrated on October 16 every year, put aside to raise awareness and take action to end hunger and malnutrition globally.

“We call on the transitional government to act with urgency to respond to the needs of the South Sudanese people, by addressing the causes of the humanitarian crisis in their country, including through the transparent use of public revenue to support food security,” the US Embassy said in a statement.

It said this year’s World Food Day will be commemorated in the face of 9 million people in South Sudan experiencing acute food insecurity. 

The embassy described the situation as both tragic and unnecessary, noting that South Sudan has plentiful fertile and arable land.

It said the American people have provided over $600 million in humanitarian assistance to help people in South Sudan over the past years.

“Most recently, in September, we announced an additional $100 million in food assistance, which will deliver 42,000 metric tons of food to approximately 1 million people facing acute food insecurity in South Sudan in the coming months,” the Embassy said.

 It said while climate shocks have contributed to the humanitarian crisis, many of the causes of food insecurity are in the hands of the South Sudanese leaders to address.