Japan has announced that it will offer $6 million in humanitarian aid to South Sudan.

The country’s Foreign Minister, Fumio Kishida, says the assistance will be used to help tackle the famine in the country.

Mr Kishida revealed the planned aid while speaking to reporters in Kumamoto city, Japan.

“We will continue humanitarian aid including human resource development and food aid and further strengthen it,” he said.

The Japanese media also reported that the country’s government is set to formally announce the aid in the coming days.

Several other countries, including the UK and Australia, have pledged to provide financial support aimed at tackling the catastrophe.

Two weeks ago, the Bureau of Standards and three UN agencies declared famine in parts of the country especially the former Unity State.

They said some 100,000 people were facing starvation in the two counties of Leer and Mayendit, while people in Koch and Panyijar were considered at high risk of famine.

According to an Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) update released in February by the government, the three agencies and other humanitarian partners, 4.9 million people – more than 40 percent of South Sudan’s population – are in need of urgent food, agriculture and nutrition assistance.