South Sudan Faces Extreme Famine: 20 Million Starving to Death

Amanda Casanova | ChristianHeadlines.com Contributor | Updated: Jul 19, 2017

South Sudan Faces Extreme Famine: 20 Million Starving to Death

Thousands in South Sudan are starving as the country faces a massive hunger crisis.

The United Nations released estimates in February, saying that 100,000 South Sudanese were starving and that 5 million more people, or about 42 percent of the population, have limited access to food.

The U.N. has declared parts of the country in famine and also said that Nigeria, Somalia and Yemen will also suffer mass death from water and food shortages without “prompt and sustained humanitarian intervention.”

The hunger problems were caused by the wars in the countries an not by droughts or crop failures, according to a report from Vox.

“It’s entirely a man-made construct right now, and that means we have it within our power to stop that,” said Michael Bowers, the vice president of humanitarian leadership and response for the aid group Mercy Corps. “Wars are hard to stop; famines are not.”

In Nigeria, for example, Boko Haram has forced millions from their homes, including farmers. Many of the country’s agricultural systems have been casualties of the fighting, and the U.N. now estimates that some 4.8 million people are in need of food assistance.

In Somalia, more than 6 million people need food assistance, but the Islamist militant group al-Shabaab makes it hard for groups to bring in aid.

In Yemen, about 7 million people need food help, but war between the government and the Houthi rebels has stopped food shipments.

“War and hunger are the two dangers in our lives now because they are killing children in the war and the hunger is killing us also,” said Rout Machar, who lives in South Sudan.

 

Publication date: July 19, 2017



South Sudan Faces Extreme Famine: 20 Million Starving to Death