For 20+ years, Action Against Hunger has worked with vulnerable populations in Sudan's South, responding to high malnutrition rates, a lack of clean water, and chronic food insecurity. Two years post-independence, South Sudan faces challenges exacerbated by natural disasters, food shortages, and tensions with Sudan. Our lifesaving nutrition programs provide thousands of malnourished kids with the care they need, and we're asking for help in saving 100 other at-risk children this holiday season.
Resources are often scarce in South Sudan, due to natural disasters, seasonal changes, border closures and tensions with northern Sudan, all of which lead to higher food prices and recurring shortages. As such, hunger and undernutrition are persistent problems, and our biggest priority in South Sudan is lifesaving treatment for the severely malnourished. In 2012 alone, we treated some 30,000 malnourished individuals in the 43 counties where we work.
This project won't solve the broader political problems that cause widespread hunger and insecurity, but it will provide lifesaving support for 20 severely malnourished children who need help now. Action Against Hunger also works with at-risk communities to tackle longer-term problems-ensuring access to clean water, bolstering agricultural production, and enhancing income-generating opportunities for families in need. Lifesaving nutrition is a necessary component of this holistic approach.
While South Sudan's nutritional challenges are daunting, Action Against Hunger collaborates with South Sudan's national Ministry of Health to strengthen their national health system and ensure local capacity and sustainable solutions for the long term.
