The government and its partners should organize a national conference for preparing solutions to the hunger crisis ahead of the dry season, a civil society group has said.
The Community Empowerment for Progress Organization, CEPO, says preparations are important as there is an increase in loss of human lives due to hunger this month.
“It’s still the month of August and we have registered incidents with the higher increase in the number of citizens dying of hunger,” said Edmond Yakani, the Executive Director of CEPO.
The group says a compilation from media reports indicates that more than 130 people died country-wide of conditions related to hunger in August alone.
Amadi State is said to be the area with the highest record of starvation, with 56 deaths in August alone.
Officials there often attribute the situation to poor harvest, insecurity, and aid access restriction.
In a statement issued on Sunday, CEPO said the hunger has brought about crimes such as looting.
“About 33 people in Ngap-Agok County in South Sudan’s Tonj State have been arrested for allegedly stealing relief food meant to be distributed to hungry villagers,” the state partly reads.
“So within the coming the coming dry season we are going to face a lot of challenges in terms of amount of food that is available within our communities, Mr. Yakani said, adding that “It is better to have an early planning towards the dry season.”
According to CEPO, other areas where hunger-related deaths have been reported include Terekeka, Wau, and Tonj.