Hunger is forcing more people to flee their homes in greater Pochalla County in South Sudan’s Boma state, a local official said.

Pochalla County Commissioner Jay Adingora Alual told Radio Tamazuj on Saturday that there was a sharp increase in the number of people fleeing to neighboring Ethiopia.

However, he didn’t not say how many people have arrived in Ethiopia so far.

Alual further said residents of Tiernaam areas, south of Pochalla County, were fleeing to Dimma town in neighboring Ethiopia in search for food.

The government official added that families in Adongo and Burator counties were fleeing to Pinyudo in Ethiopia due to hunger in their areas.

The county official reported that villagers in Pochalla are surviving on tree leaves due to food shortages. “According to what I heard, many people are surviving on wild fruits in the bush with fears because of crimes in the bushes,” he explained.

The commissioner said that the World Food Programme (WFP) had promised to bring food assistance to the needy people in the county.