Some 240,000 children are at risk of severe malnutrition this year in South Sudan, says the United Nation Children’s Agency.

The agency says it will deploy Rapid Response Mechanism teams to access vulnerable populations in most-affected areas. UNICEF and its partners say they will require more than150 million dollars to respond to five major areas of need. These include nutrition, health, child protection, education and WASH program

“Malaria-related mortality levels will continue to rise without essential drugs, especially for young children and pregnant women. Conflict-related displacement has led to an increasing number of out-of-school children whose education needs must be prioritized,” it said in a statement.

UNICEF says it admitted more than 160,000 children under the age of five for malnutrition treatment last year. More than 75 percent of them have recovered.

In its latest report, UNICEF says it will work together with the World Food Program to scale up plans to reduce risks of malnutrition this year.