The Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Food Program are calling for an end to violence to enable the delivery of food and live-saving assistance to those in need.

The Heads of the two UN food agencies say ceasing violence by all sides to the conflict will end famine and severe hunger in the country.

FAO’s José Graziano da Silva and WFP’s David Beasley made their appeal during a visit to the former Unity State, where famine was declared in February and Rumbek in Western Lakes State.

According to the United Nations, about half of the population in the country is facing severe hunger, out of which one million are on the brink of famine.

In a joint statement yesterday, WFP and FAO say the situation in South Sudan reflects the impact of ongoing strife, obstacles to delivering humanitarian assistance and declining agricultural production.

Graziano da Silva and Beasley stressed that an immediate, massive response, combining emergency food assistance and support for agriculture, livestock and fisheries is critical.

“We can still avoid a worsening of the disaster, but the fighting has to stop now. There can be no progress without peace. People must be given immediate access to food, and farmers need to be allowed to work on their fields and tend to their livestock,” Graziano da Silva said.

Beasley says the fighting has to end to make the kind of investments that give the children of South Sudan any hope for the future they deserve.

“We can’t keep scaling up forever. The fighting has to end to make the kind of investments that give the children of South Sudan any hope for the future they deserve,” said WFP’s Beasley.

Graziano da Silva also said farmers need to be allowed to work on their fields and tend to their livestock.

The two heads of the UN aid agencies underscored the need for the international community to further support the humanitarian efforts in South Sudan.

The joint statement says the FAO and WFP face a funding gap of around 182 million US dollars for the next six months.

It says additional funding is needed for food distribution, improving nutrition, healthcare, water and sanitation, providing agricultural inputs, including seeds, fishing kits and animal vaccination.

“Food, treatment for malnourished kids, kits that help people fish and grow vegetables – these are the difference between life and death for people we met in Unity state,” Beasley said.

Together, FAO and WFP face a funding gap of around US$182 million for the next six months, and are struggling to raise funds to meet skyrocketing needs in several crises around the world.

“Times are tight, with so many crises around the world demanding attention and support. South Sudan’s leaders must show good faith by facilitating humanitarian efforts, including getting rid of unnecessary fees and procedures that delay and hinder aid,” Beasley said.

He said WFP aims to assist at least 4.1 million people this year in South Sudan, including lifesaving food for people in remote areas who would otherwise have practically nothing to eat, as they have been cut off by fighting.

FAO on its part says, so far 2.9 million people have benefited from its dry season livelihood assistance, and is currently distributing crop seeds and organizing seed fairs with the aim of benefiting up to 2.1 million people by the end of the main planting season.

“Saving livelihoods also saves lives. South Sudan has great potential – it has land, water and courageous people. If it also has peace, then together we can work to end hunger,”said Graziano da Silva.