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South Sudan: Oxfam calls for urgent action as famine worries loom

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Oxfam on Tuesday urged urgent action to prevent millions of people being hit by famine in South Sudan.

The British charity's call for action comes just days after the latest rounds of peace talks in Addis Ababa failed to bring an agreement to end a four-year conflict in the country.

What did Oxfam say?

  • Four years of conflict have depleted food stocks.
  • A fifth of households in the town of Pibor in eastern Boma state could already be classified as suffering from famine levels of hunger.
  • Pibor has also seen food availability drop sharply after pests and flooding destroyed harvests.
  • As the rainy season sets in, much of the food supplies would be required to be flown in from capital Juba, making them unaffordable for many.

Read more: South Sudan: Still broadcasting loud and clear[1]

Eating grass and weeds for survival

Nicolo Di Marzo, Oxfam acting Country Director in South Sudan said: "Waiting for a formal declaration of famine is not good enough. People are already starving and desperate. A woman in Pibor said that her family has resorted to cooking grasses and weeds that are making them sick — but that they have no choice if they want to survive."

"This is not an isolated problem. Urgent action is needed now to save lives in Pibor and across South Sudan," he added.

South Sudan famine in 2017: The world's youngest nation was classified as being in famine last year. The civil war, poor harvests and rising food prices were also blamed for 2017 hunger crisis.

  • South Sudan: children of the war zone

    Displaced persons, missing parents

    More than 30,000 people live in the Protection of Civilians (PoC) site in Juba, capital of South Sudan. Around 7,000 are children who have lost contact with their parents. The NGO Nonviolent Peaceforce is trying to reunite them.

  • South Sudan: children of the war zone

    Family tracing and reunification

    The first step is to establish a child's identity and then to collect as much information as possible which could assist in locating the parents. This data is placed online and can be accessed by all international organizations working in child protection in South Sudan. If the search for the family proves fruitless, or if the child has been orphaned, foster parents are found.

  • South Sudan: children of the war zone

    All-female peacekeepers

    In South Sudan, Nonviolent Peaceforce focuses on the protection of women and children, who rarely participate in armed conflict, but are disproportionately affected by it. To this end, Nonviolent Peaceforce is forming all-female Women's Peacekeeping Teams, specially trained in tackling sexual and gender-based violence.

  • South Sudan: children of the war zone

    Women's Peacekeeping Teams

    As well as training, the Women's Peacekeeping Teams are also given follow-up support as they seek to prevent sexual and gender-based violence. The teams liaise with women in the communities, helping them to identify risks and counter them. The teams are also in contact with authorities so that culprits can be held accountable for their actions.

  • South Sudan: children of the war zone

    Ulang in Upper Nile State

    The civil war began as a political dispute, but it has reopened ethnic fault lines between the Dinka people of President Salva Kiir and the Nuer of rebel leader Riek Machar . Ulang in Upper Nile State is dominated by the Nuer. It was attacked by government in troops in May 2015 and dozens were killed. The once tranquil region found itself caught up in conflict.

  • South Sudan: children of the war zone

    Child protection projects in Ulang

    Nonviolent Peaceforce runs a child protection project in Ulang, one of six in South Sudan. These projects vary in accordance with local needs. In Ulang, community volunteers ensure that the children have access to recreation and sports.

  • South Sudan: children of the war zone

    Soccer on a former battleground

    At Ulang's Kopuot Primary School, children are playing a game of soccer as part of a child protection project. The building in the background is pockmarked with bullet holes, an ever-present reminder that the school was a target for government troops during their May offensive.

  • South Sudan: children of the war zone

    Back to school

    All teaching materials and other supplies at the school were destroyed in the government offensive. But now, in makeshift classrooms, the struggle to acquire an education goes on. Author: Fellipe Abtreu

    Author:

South Sudan civil war: South Sudan plunged into a civil war, barely two years after independence from Sudan in 2011. The war that pits the army of President Salva Kiir against the armed fighters of his former deputy, Riek Machar has left tens of thousands dead and many more displaced.

Uncertain future: Last week, talks in Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa failed to revive South Sudan’s failed 2015 peace pact and end the country’s civil war, leaving the African country facing an uncertain future.

Source http://www.bing.com/news/apiclick.aspx?ref=FexRss&aid=&tid=8382AC9F1F0F4333B0BE5A6EEC055B00&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dw.com%2Fen%2Fsouth-sudan-oxfam-calls-for-urgent-action-as-famine-worries-loom%2Fa-43969259&c=2206234558309390131&mkt=en-ca

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