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FAO warns against food insecurity in S. Sudan

Food and Agriculture Organization of UN (FAO)
Food and Agriculture Organization of UN (FAO)
ROME, May 29 (KUNA) -- Food and Agriculture Organization of UN (FAO) warned on Friday of the economic decline in South Sudan, which could endanger around five million people who are facing food security crisis.
According to a new Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report, FAO said in a statement that "the ongoing conflict and related economic downturn in South Sudan has left 3.8 million people facing emergency and crisis levels of food insecurity.
"That is 1.3 million more than the IPC's last projection made in December 2014," the statement added.
The report "warned that unless action is taken, the situation is set to further deteriorate with around 4.6 million people, or some 40 percent of the country's population becoming severely food insecure by July 2015." The report also shows that in addition to the 3.8 million people now at Emergency and Crisis levels, an additional 4 million have reached the Stressed food security phase.
"This means they will not be able to adequately sustain their livelihoods or meet their food needs without engaging in negative coping mechanisms including consuming wild foods and skipping meals," said Erminio Sacco, Chief Technical Adviser of the Agriculture Food Information System in South Sudan. (end) mn.mb