The infestation of armyworm; the crop eating caterpillar is not a good situation for South Sudan which is already in a delicate state, having recovered from the famine that came as a result of the civil war.
The UN laments over this because, although South Sudan is no longer in famine, yet the country is not in a state of abundance either. Recently, aid agencies have reported that the number of families going through hunger has risen immensely in recent months.
Serge Tissot, the FAO representative in the country, said: “We are already in a very fragile situation in South Sudan… this new pest is coming on top of the rest.”
Tissot also mentioned that the FAO is putting the necessary measure in place to repair damages caused by the worms, however, they complained that the situation is “very complex” owing to the fact that some areas are restricted because of violence.
Was assessing the additional damage done by the armyworm and planning a response but said operations were “very complex” with violence restricting access to some areas.
Image: Oxfam Ireland
