Kiir, VP Abdelbagi discuss service delivery, food security
January 14, 2023 (JUBA) – South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir and the Vice President for Service Cluster, Hussein Abdelbagi Akol on Friday discussed ways to improve service delivery by rehabilitating roads across the country.
The Presidential Affairs minister, Barnaba Marial Benjamin attended the meeting.
While addressing reporters, Abdelbagi said the meeting focused on addressing challenges facing the region, citing food security and flooding.
A meeting, he added, was also held with community leaders and chiefs to discuss their role in promoting peaceful coexistence with neighboring communities.
Last year, aid agencies warned that 7.7 million people will not have enough to eat from April to July 2023, while 1.4 million children will be malnourished.
The warning is contained in the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) released by Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and World Food Programme (WFP).
Hunger and malnutrition, it said, are on the rise in areas affected by flood, drought and conflict and some communities are likely to face starvation unless aid is sustained, and climate adaption measures are scaled up.
The UN agencies underscored the urgent need for funding, warning that they will be unable to preposition humanitarian assistance in time for the next year, which could push millions of families even deeper into hunger.
(ST)