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The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) welcomes a contribution of €5.7 million (US$6.68 million) for 2021 from Germany to provide life-saving food assistance to thousands of people in South Sudan. It comes at a critical time when funding is scarce, and the country faces alarmingly high rates of food insecurity due to conflict, floods and rising poverty.

Ten years after gaining independence, South Sudan is experiencing its worst humanitarian crisis with 7.2 million people–60 percent of the population–facing acute food insecurity and 1.4 million children under five years of age and half a million pregnant and breastfeeding women expected to suffer from acute malnutrition.

Germany’s contribution will provide food and nutrition assistance to over 150,000 vulnerable people in the most food insecure areas. In 2020, WFP gave food and nutrition assistance to more than five million people across the country. This contribution is part of Germany’s flexible East Africa funding.

“We are grateful to Germany and its people for supporting South Sudan at this critical time when multiple crises and conflict mean more and more people cannot support themselves and their families,” said Matthew Hollingworth, WFP Representative and Country Director in South Sudan. “WFP relies on predictable funding from donors to support vulnerable families who need food assistance to survive.”

“Germany hopes that the additional funding will contribute mitigating the suffering of vulnerable people on the brink of starvation, at a time when more South Sudanese than ever before are in need of humanitarian assistance,” added Janika Walter, Chargeé d’Affaires and Head of Cooperation of the German Embassy in South Sudan. “We commend WFP for its continuous efforts to operate in such a challenging environment to improve the lives of South Sudanese families.”

The Government of the Federal Republic of Germany is a long-standing partner of WFP and has supported WFP’s work in South Sudan since independence in 2011.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of World Food Programme (WFP).