STORY: UN agencies warn of catastrophic food crisis in South Sudan
DATELINE: Aug. 4, 2023
LENGTH: 00:04:26
LOCATION: Juba
CATEGORY: SOCIETY
 
SHOTLIST:
1. various of community members from Apada Boma welcoming the arrival of the delegation
2. various of community members retrieving water from a newly-built shallow well
3. various of farmers preparing the rice demonstration plot
4. various of community members watering the vegetable garden
5. FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu leading the group into the vegetable garden
6. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): QU DONGYU, FAO director-general
7. various of students from Udhaba Primary School
8. various of WFP executive director Cindy McCain serving students hot meals
9. various of students from Udhaba Primary School eating their school meals inside the classroom
10. various of delegations 
11. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): ALVARO LARIO, President of IFAD
12. SOUNDBITE 3 (English): CINDY MCCAIN, Executive director, World Food Programme
13. various of local people
 
STORYLINE:
 
The heads of UN food and agriculture agencies wrapped up a three-day visit to South Sudan Tuesday, calling for increased investments in the country to avoid a catastrophic food crisis.
   
The heads of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the World Food Program (WFP), warned that the cost of inaction in addressing South Sudan's complex food, climate, and insecurity crises will be felt in the loss of lives, livelihoods and futures for millions of people across the young nation.
   
SOUNDBITE 1 (English): QU DONGYU, FAO director-general
"We are very pleased to come to South Sudan together with my colleagues from WFP and IFAD. South Sudan is a new country but they needed humanitarian aid, development hub, and other technology support to transform agrifood systems on the ground. The people need the food, high-quality nutritious food, so let's work together to support the local government and work on the county level together."
 
SOUNDBITE 2 (English): ALVARO LARIO, President of IFAD
"South Sudan has great potential. It has the land, it has the water, a young population. Unfortunately, currently, only 4 percent of its land is being cultivated. We're seeing behind us a communal garden where women are improving their nutrition, planting tomatoes, cassava, and actually, we see South Sudan can transform its agriculture from subsistence farming to actually productive small-scale farming."
   
SOUNDBITE 3 (English): CINDY MCCAIN, Executive director, World Food Programme 
"Just handing out food is not the answer. We must break this cycle of hunger and empower communities to plant the seeds of hope, opportunity, and economic development."
 
The UN said the humanitarian emergency in South Sudan is caused by a combination of conflict, climate, and soaring food and fuel prices. And the situation is compounded by fighting in Sudan which has led to more than 190,000 people fleeing across the border to South Sudan, further straining already scarce resources.
 
Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Juba.
(XHTV)