South Sudan Remains Above Global Acute Malnutrition Level: UNICEF

This article was last updated on April 16, 2022

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In a press release by UNICEF, “Overall nutrition situation in most parts of South Sudan remains above global acute malnutrition level of 15 percent especially in Upper Nile, Unity, Northern Bahr Ghazal, Jonglei and Warrap States.” 

UNICEF notes that the malnutrition, especially among young children in South Sudan, is not mirroring improvements in food security because of high rates of disease, lack of safe water and lack of access to basic health care. 

According to UNICEF, over the past years, 400 thousand children have been forced out of school there is an increase in grave child rights violations.

The agency recorded 85,133 children with severe acute malnutrition admitted for therapeutic feeding programme management from January 2014 to date.

 It further highlights that malnutrition, especially among young children, is not mirroring improvements in food security because of high rates of disease, lack of safe water and lack of access to basic health care. 

Tens of thousands of children under the age of five remain at risk of malnutrition-related death in South Sudan, despite temporary improvements in the food security situation that were released by theIntegrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) group of experts.

“Malnutrition rates for children are at critical or serious levels in most parts of South Sudan. In some areas where large numbers of people displaced by the conflict have gathered, the rates of acute malnutrition for children are over 30 per cent; this is more than double officially recognized emergency levels. Accessing malnourished children with humanitarian assistance is a major challenge because of ongoing insecurity and the rainy season, which has cut off almost all roads in the country.”

” Thousands of malnourished children who have not yet been reached remain in peril,” said Jonathan Veitch, UNICEF Representative in South Sudan. “We have to take advantage of the coming dry season – and passable roads – to preposition life-saving supplies for the treatment of children suffering from malnutrition. It is critical that we are able to accelerate our response during this window of opportunity.”

The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification  analysis projects that 1.5 million people will be in crisis and emergency food insecurity levels.

IPC warns that the outlook for 2015 remains of great concern, with 2.5 million people at crisis or emergency levels from January to March. 

Although the IPC projection does not extend beyond March 2015, the lean months in South Sudan usually peak around May. Children, who are always the most vulnerable to food shortages, will therefore be at even greater risk of malnutrition.

UNICEF is urgently seeking additional funding of 25 U.S million dollars to continue to scale up its nutrition response and to preposition life-saving nutrition supplies during the coming dry season.

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