Dozens of families in Khor Gana from the proposed Wau state are eating leaves due to a severe food shortage caused by fighting in the area.

Siro Mathew, a chief from the area, told Radio Tamazuj that the residents have been relying on leaves for the past three months. Mathew said the residents have received assistance from citizens in Wau and the government, but it has not been enough. He called on humanitarian agencies to provide food assistance.

Governor of Wau state, Elias Waya, recently visited the area to assess the situation after clashes between the government and armed opposition.

OCHA said in May that 21,000 people who living in the surrounding areas of Wau face a food shortage.