WFP says nearly 300,000 returnees fleeing Sudan conflict facing hunger

RENK, OCTOBER 3, 2023 (SUDANS POST) – The World Food Programme (WFP) has said that nearly 300,000 South Sudanese refugees and returnees who fled conflict-affected areas of Sudan are facing severe hunger at the border between Sudan and South Sudan, with a quarter of them being malnourished children, pregnant and breastfeeding women.

“The humanitarian situation for returnees is unacceptable and WFP is struggling to meet the mounting humanitarian needs at the border. We simply do not have the resources to provide life-saving assistance to those who need it most,” said Mary-Ellen McGroarty, WFP’s South Sudan Country Director.

The report added that 90% of families are lacking food, which has led them to go days without eating at some point, indicating moderate or severe food insecurity.

“Almost all of those who have crossed the border since fighting broke out in Sudan in mid-April are South Sudanese and they are returning to a country already facing unprecedented humanitarian needs,” the report said.

The rainy season has also contributed to the spread of disease due to worsening floods, the report said, adding that floods have also made the movement of the returnees more difficult, with many families reporting facing robbery and violence as they escaped from Sudan with nothing but the clothes on their backs.

The report indicated that the latest group of returnees are more helpless than those who fled in the earlier weeks of the conflict.

“WFP is providing food assistance to meet the immediate needs of the families at the border, delivering hot meals, high-energy biscuits, dry rations, and cash-based transfers, as well as providing specialized nutrition support for children and mothers,” it said.

The report further stressed an urgent need for US$120 million for WFP to scale up its support for people fleeing the war-affected country to South Sudan.

The report stated further that there is also a need for significant resources to improve the lives of the fleeing group and help them rebuild their lives in South Sudan.

“Across South Sudan, WFP has a funding gap of US$536 million over the next six months and was only able to reach 40% of food insecure people with food assistance in 2023,” the report said.