Findings of a joint assessment conducted in Mvolo County, Western Equatoria, indicate a deepening food crisis exacerbated by increasing insecurity and poor rainfall and widespread crop failure, a UN agency said.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in its update last week that the assessment team between 28 July and 2 August found that food stocks in Kokori, Bogori and Yeri villages of Mvolo County have been depleted and many people are surviving on wild fruits.
The organization further said market performance is also poor with no food items in Mvolo and Yeri. “Prices are high and people have low purchasing power due to the current inflation,” it said.
“During the mission, 2,529 children under age 5 were screened for malnutrition. All the severe and moderate acute malnourished children received treatment. Nearly 2,000 children under age 5 were also dewormed,” it added.
The agency pointed out that 1,871 children under age 5 were given vitamin A supplements, while some 570 pregnant and lactating women were screened for malnutrition.
OCHA revealed that lack of clean water was also as a significant challenge across Mvolo County.