SOUTH SUDAN: Catastrophic Hunger.

According to the UN's World Food Programme (WFP), over 1.6 million children under the age of five will experience malnutrition in South Sudan in 2024 due to an increase in waterborne diseases caused by flooding. Since gaining independence from Sudan in 2011, South Sudan has faced conflict, natural disasters, economic struggles, and political infighting. Flooding has become an annual occurrence in some parts of the country, making it difficult for people to access food and leading to the spread of disease. The situation is particularly dire in Rubkona county, where floodwaters have submerged large areas of land, causing food prices to rise by over 120% since April. The WFP has described the situation as a "catastrophic level of hunger." The crisis has been exacerbated by the return of South Sudanese refugees fleeing Sudan's war, and the poor infrastructure and lack of funding have hindered the delivery of relief aid. South Sudan, despite having significant oil reserves, is considered one of the world's poorest nations and is in a serious humanitarian crisis, with approximately 9.4 million people, or 76% of the population, in need of assistance in 2023. The country's Humanitarian Response Plan requires $1.7 billion to provide urgent support to 6.8 million vulnerable individuals. [Extracted from the article]