Vice President Dr. James Wani Igga speaks at a dinner with visiting UN officials. (Photo: MoFA&IC/Facebook)

Vice President Dr. James Wani Igga on Monday appealed to the international community to help South Sudan in coping with the impact of conflict and climate disasters, which he said have induced deaths and abject poverty in his country.

Dr. Igga made the remarks at a dinner with visiting heads of the UN’s World Food Program, Food and Agriculture Organization, and the International Fund for Agricultural Development in Juba.

The humanitarian officials are currently on a visit to assess the humanitarian situation in the country and coordinate a response with the government.

Igga, the head of the Economic Cluster in the transitional government, decries conflicts and climate change factors including drought in the country’s southeast and years of unprecedented seasonal flooding.

“The suffering from chronic drought and flooding, extreme climate change, conflicts, desert locus, and name them. All these culminate in annual famines and malnutrition, deaths, and abject poverty,” Igga said on state-owned broadcaster SSBC last evening.

“The international community needs to help South Sudan on how to cope with such eventualities.”

The vice president also called on the UN agencies to bolster their response to the huge influx of South Sudanese fleeing the conflict in Sudan.

On her part, the head of the World Food Program Cindy McCain says South Sudan remains one of the agency’s top priorities despite the global food crisis.

“Globally, the situation is difficult but please know that South Sudan remains our priority, remains on our radar and we will not forget you. We will continue working to strengthen the capacity for emergency preparedness, response, and building community resilience.” she said.

Ms. McCain said WFP will bolster emergency humanitarian response at the border with Sudan and across disaster-affected areas.

“There are many challenges facing South Sudan, we are aware of that, but there is an incredible potential as people have said. So, our work is grounded on supporting national priorities.”