A senior government official has slammed a report released by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) warning against severe hunger in South Sudan.

Last week, FAO said that about 4 million people are severely food insecure due to fighting between government troops and opposition fighters across the country.

Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Sunday, Kornelio Kon Ngu, South Sudan’s Deputy Minister of Agriculture, described the report as “inaccurate”. He further said rural areas have not been hit by hunger because villagers are still cultivating normally.

 “Famine and food insecurity is only in the cities, but in the villages nobody is facing food insecurity,” said Kon.

The official pointed out that government employees in major tows are suffering due to non-payment of their salaries for two months.

Separately, Minister Kon admitted increasing crime rates in South Sudan, while attributing the problem to hunger and the proliferation of arms in the hands of civilians.

He confirmed his government’s commitment to restore security through disarmament and implementation of security arrangements and economic reform.