The World Food Program has warned that South Sudan will face in the next few months the worst food insecurity since independence.

The agency says internal food security analysis shows that South Sudan will face the most severe lean season this year due to insecurity, poor harvests, and displacement in some areas of the country.

In a new report, the WFP says some 5.3 million people may face severe food insecurity, with particular areas of concern Northern Bahr el Ghazal and Eastern Equatoria.

This indicates that the food gap may double in the next few months compared to first quarter of the year, when some 2.8 million people were in the crisis level of food insecurity until March.

The agency says it is scaling up its support to households and communities affected by the early onset of the lean season, during which farmers require food aid before the next harvest.

The agency says it is also expanding general food distributions to prevent any further worsening of the food security and nutrition situation.

Government officials are yet to comment on the new report.