More than one-third of the population in South Sudan, or 4.8 million people, will face severe food shortages over the coming months.

The warning comes from three UN agencies who say this figure represents the highest level of hunger in the country since the start of a conflict there in December 2013.

Erminio Sacco is Chief Technical Advisor on Food Security with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), which is sounding the alarm alongside the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Food Programme (WFP).

He is based in South Sudan’s capital, Juba.

Mr Sacco told Sandra Ferrari that although the situation coincides with the annual lean season, it is unprecedented.

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