Photo courtesy of Anadolu.
South Sudan is at risk of sliding into famine amid intensifying conflict, worsening hunger, and declining international aid, a United Nations official warned.
UN relief chief Tom Fletcher told the UN Security Council that conditions in the country had deteriorated sharply following his recent visit.
He said many residents he met described widespread “despair and abandonment,” as humanitarian conditions continued to worsen.
Fletcher said the situation reflected a stark imbalance: conflict, displacement, hunger, disease, and attacks on aid workers were all increasing, while funding support was falling.
He noted that two out of three people in South Sudan would require humanitarian assistance this year, but the $1.46-billion response plan remained only 22 percent funded.
Without urgent action, he warned that the crisis could deepen further, raising the possibility of famine affecting millions.
He urged the Security Council to ensure humanitarian access, increase flexible funding, and push all parties to respect international humanitarian law.
Fletcher also called for renewed political efforts to sustain ceasefire arrangements and advance the country’s peace agreement, saying aid alone would not resolve the crisis.