WFP, partners aid nearly 500,000 South Sudanese
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March 28, 2013 (JUBA) - The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP)
and its partners have so far provided food and nutrition assistance to
nearly half a million conflict-affected people in South Sudan, an
official said.
JPEG - 20.4 kb
People gather at a makeshift IDP camp at the UN compound in Juba on
December 22, 2013 where South Sudanese continue to flock as fears of a
resumption of fighting in the capital fester. (AFP/Tony KARUMBA)
Elisabeth Byrs, however, said WFP had to overcome several challenges,
which included lootings and continued fighting to reach more people
daily.
"WFP was using a combination of airlifts and airdrops to reach tens of
thousands of people in remote, hard-to-reach areas. WFP's mobile
distribution teams took advantage of sometimes-small windows of
opportunity to distribute food to people in urgent need in communities
isolated by conflict", said Byrs in a statement extended to Sudan
Tribune.
"The mobile teams were now being expanded to include other agencies", she added.
The WFP official said the unrest had seriously damaged food security
in South Sudan, pushing millions further into hunger and severely
complicating our efforts to provide relief.
"The crisis was hurting food security even in parts of the country not
directly affected by fighting, in part because of disruption to trade
routes and food markets," Byrs observed.
The WFP official, however, the agency was assisting tens of thousands
of people who had fled across South Sudan's borders into neighbouring
countries. Nearly 800,000 South Sudanese have been forced out of their
homes due the country's unrest with about 85,000 fleeing to
neighbouring Ethiopia while others have sought refuge in Uganda and
Kenya.
"Nearly 85,000 refugees had arrived in Ethiopia, many in very poor
condition with alarmingly high levels of malnutrition", said Byrs,
adding that WFP was providing specialized nutrition support for
children and mothers to help them recover, and that malnutrition rates
were dropping.
WFP, however, said plans were underway to assist an additional 275,000
in the following month through the use of a combination of airdrops,
airlifts and river transports, especially with supplies arriving via
Ethiopia.
UNICEF WORRY
Meanwhile, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) warned of increasing levels
of measles and polio outbreaks, but said Cholera was under control.
There are fears that the coming rains could make some areas impassable
and hence increase relief operation cost in these hard to reach
locations.
"Unless the situation improved rapidly and radically, as many as one
million people would face even greater threats in South Sudan and
neighbouring countries, including Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda and Sudan,"
said Sarah Crowe.
This week, she revealed, emergency relief supplies had gone to very
remote areas, delivering whole baskets of different supplies,
including food, vaccines, hygiene kits, rehydrating salts, and
chlorinating tablets.
"That process would continue in the coming weeks, and the goal was to
reach as many beneficiaries as possible before parts of the country
were made completely inaccessible", added the UNICEF official.
(ST).
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