Photo Credit|Courtesy

Humanitarian partners have provided emergency food assistance to 100 vulnerable households in Lafon County, Eastern Equatoria State, following reports of severe food shortages caused by a prolonged dry spell.

The intervention was carried out under the Survivor and Community-Led Response, SCLR, approach, targeting families facing acute food shortages.

Speaking during the intervention on Monday, James Kawagia, Project Officer at Global Voice and a host partner of the cluster, said the assistance was aimed at providing immediate relief to hunger-stricken families.

He said the situation in Lafon remains concerning, particularly for vulnerable households and children who are struggling to access sufficient food.

Each of the 100 targeted households received 10 kilograms of maize flour, three kilograms of cowpeas, one-point-five litres of cooking oil, and one kilogram of salt.

The food was handed over through community representatives to ensure an orderly and community-based distribution process and to help ensure that the assistance reaches households identified as most vulnerable.

Community members reported serious difficulties in accessing sufficient and nutritious food.

Some families said they had resorted to collecting wild fruits, leaves and other alternative sources of food from the bush to cope with the shortages.

Children, particularly those under the age of five, were reported to be among the most vulnerable, with some families struggling to provide regular meals.

The response team also faced significant logistical challenges while travelling to Lafon, with poor road conditions making some areas difficult or impossible to reach.

Despite the challenges, humanitarian workers proceeded with the intervention because of the urgent needs reported by communities.

Beneficiaries welcomed the assistance, describing it as an important source of immediate relief for hunger-stricken families struggling to meet their daily food needs.

However, they appealed for continued humanitarian assistance, saying their needs extend beyond the initial food distribution.

County authorities also welcomed the intervention and called on humanitarian organizations, development partners and other stakeholders to increase support to vulnerable communities in Lafon.

The organizations involved emphasized that the food distribution is an emergency intervention and does not represent a complete solution to the humanitarian situation in the county.

They called for further humanitarian assessments to determine the scale of food insecurity and other urgent needs, while urging sustained and coordinated support to prevent vulnerable households from falling further into crisis.

The partners also thanked local authorities, community representatives and beneficiaries for their cooperation and appealed to humanitarian partners, donors and government authorities to maintain support for vulnerable communities in Lafon County.