JUBA - More than seven million people in South Sudan risk experiencing high levels of food insecurity in July, UN deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq said, based on recent Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports.
Nearly 79,000 people, mostly in areas affected by conflict, economic crisis and climate-related shocks, can face catastrophic levels of hunger, according to the reports.
UN triples daily patrols in Tambura
Mr. Haq said UN humanitarian partners are supporting civilians displaced by intercommunal fighting in Tambura county, in western Equatoria. About 26,000 people have fled the county, leaving several residential areas in Tambura deserted.
“Our peacekeeping colleagues are closely monitoring the situation in Tambura,” Mr. Haq said. “To deter further violence, the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) had immediately deployed additional peacekeepers to reinforce the site.”
The UN Mission reported that they have tripled the number of daily patrols, he added.
Returnees and refugees
The number of returnees and refugees from the conflict in Sudan is putting a strain on already limited services, he continued. More than 670,000 new people were registered in South Sudan since the beginning of the war in Sudan in April 2023, with 80 per cent of them being returnees.
He also said the humanitarian appeal lacks funding, with only 11 per cent of the required $1.8 billion being received, posing a challenge to response efforts.
