The Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations is seeking additional contribution of 50 million US dollars for emergency response in South Sudan.

Yesterday, F-A-O North America hosted F-A-O representative and UN Deputy Humanitarian Coordinator for South Sudan, Sue Lautze,at a briefing about the crisis in the country.

F-A-O says the fund is needed urgently to mitigate what it calls alarming food and nutrition insecurity for more than three million people in the country.

The agency says the food insecure population has tripled, and about 4.2 million people are at risk of hunger and malnutrition.

In South Sudan, F-A-O says it is promoting capacity building and income generating activities in areas less affected by the conflict.

The agency says it has assisted 1.5 million people since the beginning of the crisis in mid-December last year.