Nutributter shipment arrives in South Sudan - Reuters AlertNet

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A shipment of 39 metric tons of life-saving Nutributter® has arrived in Wau, South Sudan. Humanitarian aid organization World Concern will distribute the peanut-based ready-to-eat food supplement to 7,800 children, ages 6 to 24 months, to help prevent malnutrition and stunting.

An estimated 4.7 million people are currently facing a food shortage in South Sudan, one of the least developed countries in the world, and nearly one in three children is underweight. Ongoing conflict and fighting near the border with Sudan has led to a massive humanitarian crisis in South Sudan, which is struggling to survive after gaining independence from Sudan in July. More than 300,000 people have been displaced in recent months.

“During the last growing season, farmers harvested only half what the country needs to feed itself,” said World Concern Commodities Officer Susan Talbot. “The Nutributter® has arrived at the start of this hunger gap, which this year is threatening the lives of so many young children in South Sudan. It will not only provide the nutrition these young minds and bodies need now, but will prevent irreversible damage caused by malnutrition.”

Nutributter® provides appropriate levels of vitamins, minerals and fatty acids to promote growth and development in young children. It comes in single dose packets, which are given daily for eight months. World Concern will distribute Nutributter® to mothers with infants and young children in eight impoverished communities in Western Bahr El Ghazal State.