JUBA, July 16 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations World Food Program (WFP) on Wednesday warned of a funding shortage hindering humanitarian efforts in South Sudan.
Mary-Ellen McGroarty, country director for the WFP in South Sudan, said the agency is facing a 274 million U.S. dollar shortfall in funding for food aid to help vulnerable South Sudanese.
"We are reducing the level of assistance. We are reducing the rations. In most of our programs now, we are only giving about 50 percent of what is required, except in those cases that are very high risk, at the risk of famine where we give a 70 percent ration," McGroarty told reporters in Juba, the capital of South Sudan.
She said the WFP originally planned 750 million dollars in food aid for South Sudan this year, which was later revised to 630 million dollars, still leaving a shortfall of 274 million dollars to meet the target.
McGroarty said the situation in the country is driven by the absence of livelihoods, poverty, floods, climate shocks, and ongoing conflict.
According to the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), over half of South Sudan's population is experiencing severe food insecurity.
With clear signs of famine risk in specific areas and a widespread crisis elsewhere, the situation demands urgent, multi-sector humanitarian intervention to prevent further deterioration and loss of life, the WFP said. ■
