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Papal gift helps hungry families in South Sudan
Donation from Pope Francis provides seeds to grow nutritious food 13 November 2017, Yei SOUTH SUDAN
- Hungry families in South Sudan will be able to make ends meet thanks to vegetable-growing kits funded by a donation from Pope Francis. The kits come as the food security situation
is forecast to worsen in coming months. Difference between life and death “These vegetable kits can be the difference between life and death for many people,” said Serge Tissot, FAO’s Representative in South Sudan. “Thanks to Pope Francis’ contribution, more people
in Yei will be able to re-start growing their own food to stave off the worst ravages of hunger,” he said.
The kits will provide seven fast-growing vegetable varieties to increase families’ access to nutritious foods and bridge the
food gap between the cereal harvests. “I don't have money to go buy food in the market so I really need this,” said 30-year-old Candiru Lily. “I had to run for my life from the village and now I am here in Yei, but I don't have much
land. With the seeds that I got today, I will plant just around my home and it will help me a lot.” Crying for peace In Central Equatoria, an estimated 145,000 people are facing emergency levels of food insecurity, which is one step below famine on the internationally-agreed scale of hunger crises. The extent
of hunger is repeated many times over in other communities across South Sudan because fighting has destroyed livelihoods and constrained aid agencies' access, and because hyperinflation has put food out of reach for many.
Across South Sudan, the number of people experiencing severe food insecurity is estimated at 4.8 million. The food
security situation is projected to deteriorate at the start of 2018 and the ‘hungry season' - when households typically run out of food before the next harvest - is forecast to start three months earlier than usual. FAO's team in South Sudan is focusing on strengthening food security by improving livelihoods. FAO has provided fishing, crop-
and vegetable-growing kits to more than 4.2 million people, many in difficult to reach or conflict-affected areas, to support them to grow or catch their own food. FAO has also vaccinated and treated more than 4.8 million livestock, to protect these livelihood
assets for vulnerable families. |
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