Map of Pibor Administrative Area - Credit: Eye Radio

More than 40 people are now known to have died in the hunger-hit Greater Pibor Administrative Area in only two months, authorities there have reported.

In a fresh report, Oleyo Akuer,  the information minister says 3 elderly women starved to death last week raising the dead toll to 43.

In June, 18 people were reported to have succumbed to sever hunger  in Pocholla, 12 in Likwangole, 6 in Jebal Buma, 7 in Marwo and Loprap.

“Last week they told us that 3 elderly women died of hunger in side of Pocholla South. In Pochalla, they told us that people who died out of hunger are 15,” he told Eye Radio on Monday.

“On cases from Jebal Buma, we were told there were 6 people who died because of hunger and the same number in Marwo while Loprap we were told the hunger was so server and the number of those who died were 7.”

Akuer described the hunger situation there as alarming.

“The hunger situation there is still alarming and a lot of people fled away from the areas to Ethiopia due to lack of food and others remain in the area,” he added.

Hunger has affected the entire administrative territory where supply routes from Juba, Eastern Equatoria and neighboring Ethiopia are hardly accessible.

A national government delegation joined by representatives from the UN Mission in South Sudan flew to the area yesterday for a one-day flood assessment.