5.5 million S. Sudanese facing severe food insecurity: IOM.
Email Print Save Many families coping mechanisms are declining because the communities are facing displacement and reduced access to crops, markets and basic services.
The crisis is particularly severe in Unity region, where an estimated 100,000 people are facing famine conditions.
“The lack of access to safe drinking water is one of the causes of malnutrition,” explains Antonio Torres, a Coordinator at IOM WASH. Torres went on to say that IOM wants to promote good hygiene and sanitation practices in all communities, primarily the ones with food insecurities.
IOM undertakes efforts to both increase access to safe water and ensure the promotion of good hygiene and sanitation practices to safeguard these communities against further health risks, including the spread of waterborne diseases,” he said.
In food-insecure and famine-affected areas, IOM aims to help its’ partners reach an estimated 50,000 people with water storage and treatment supplies, 21,000 women and girls with menstrual hygiene management kits, and 20,000 people through improved sanitation facilities.
As populations in Kapoeta are facing severe food insecurity, a cholera outbreak can be catastrophic in areas where individuals already experience malnutrition, poor WASH conditions and limited access to health facilities.
The Japanese funding has also provided a boost to IOM’s rapid response health teams, which are able to react quickly to health needs and emergencies, such as disease outbreaks across the country.
The team recently responded to a cholera outbreak and acute primary health-care needs in Jonglei’s Ayod County, where families face crisis-level food insecurity.
IOM’s emergency health and WASH responses are also supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Office of US Foreign Disaster Assistance, the UK Department for International Development (DFID), the EC European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations, the UN Central Emergency Response Fund and the South Sudan Humanitarian Fund.