South Sudan to face high cereal deficit in 2021: UN report

JUBA, June 1 (Xinhua) -- A high cereal deficit is expected in South Sudan in 2021 due to the impact of prolonged conflict and floods, leaving millions of South Sudanese extremely food insecure, UN agencies said Tuesday in a joint report.

The Crop and Food Security Assessment Mission report released by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP) said that the deficit in South Sudan's cereal production is estimated at an all-time high of 465,600 tons in 2021.

The report said cereal production in 2020 rose by seven percent on a yearly basis to around 874,400 metric tons.

The growth could only cover the needs of only a third of South Sudan's 12.2 million population as the country needs 1.3 million metric tons of cereal a year, leaving most people reliant on humanitarian food assistance.

"The marginal gains in cereal production show that where there is peace and stability, the people of South Sudan are able to turn the page on hunger," said Matthew Hollingworth, WFP country director in South Sudan.

The latest report warned that 7.19 million people will face food insecurity at the height of the lean season between April and July.

It said that violence and conflict, competition among groups over farmland and water, as well as new protracted displacements due to violence and floods both destroyed assets and eroded communities' resilience.

Meshack Malo, FAO representative in South Sudan, said lasting peace is the solution to enable communities to benefit from South Sudan fertile soils, produce their own food and exit from humanitarian aid.

"Our priority is to unleash South Sudan's potential, increase crop production and to allow communities to contribute to the expansion of the planted areas," said Malo.