Ten people are said to have died of hunger in Eastern Equatoria State.
State Governor Louis Lobong Lojore, said the deceased were residents of the Greater Kapoeta area, where severe hunger has been reported.
Radio Miraya reported last week that most of the produce from the last harvest in the state were destroyed by worms.
Governor Lobong, said the situation has been made worse because bordering countries have stopped traders from exporting food to the state.
“We do not know what is the reason people planted several times but all failed to germinate and sometimes back traders used to bring some food items from the neighboring countries of Kenya and Uganda and this years these countries are not allowing maize to be exported from their countries because they have the similar problems. Cows, goats are in a market in Kapoita. There is no market; nobody is buying because they are just too many and is becoming very cheap to the point that a goat cannot afford to buy a bag of sorghums. This is a problem that people are facing. I had appealled to the national government, international organizations, bussiness community to come in,” the governor said.
Governor Lobong, said that the crime rate is likely to rise as a result of famine.
