JUBA, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- The World Food Program (WFP) warned Friday that funding shortfalls will cut off food assistance for 400,000 South Sudanese refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) following September distributions.
The WFP said it is working with the United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Organization for Migration to coordinate with the South Sudanese government and inform affected refugees and IDPs about upcoming cuts to assistance.
The UN agency warned that the impending aid cuts come at the peak of the rainy season, a critical period when food is scarce, market prices spike, and flooded and degraded roads severely hamper humanitarian deliveries.
The WFP said it requires 280 million U.S. dollars to scale up humanitarian assistance in South Sudan through January 2027, where millions of people continue to suffer from acute food and nutrition insecurity.
The funding will enable the agency to maintain critical nutrition services as severe budget shortfalls force sweeping reductions in assistance across South Sudan.
Without sustained support, the WFP warned that vulnerable women and children face a heightened risk of severe malnutrition and life-threatening health complications. ■