At least 23 people had died of starvation in Tali County in South Sudan’s Terekeka State since late June, a local official said.

Tali County Commissioner Angelo Maring told Radio Tamazuj on Tuesday that his people are dying of hunger saying citizens have resorted to extreme coping techniques of eating leaves from trees as food runs out.

He pointed out that many people are suffering from diarrhoea from eating the leaves every day.

The local official appealed to aid agencies to support the needy people of Tali County as soon as possible.

Tens of thousands of South Sudanese have been killed and millions displaced since the outbreak of war in the world's youngest nation in December 2013.