Juba, Sep 7 (IANS): The UN agencies have said that funding shortfalls have forced them to scale down humanitarian response toward millions of vulnerable people in need of food and other life-saving assistance in South Sudan.

The UN agencies said on Wednesday in a joint statement issued in Juba, the capital of South Sudan, that dwindling resources amid growing needs have forced humanitarian agencies to prioritise the delivery of vital life-saving support which risks leaving millions behind, Xinhua news agency reported.

"These are not easy decisions to make, and WFP's priority is to save as many lives as possible," Makena Walker, acting country director for the World Food Program (WFP) in South Sudan, was quoted as saying in the statement, adding that the emergency food assistance, known as the Lean Season Response for 2023, was completed at the end of August in most locations.

The statement said that emergency food assistance will be prioritised for 3.2 million people who face the highest levels of food insecurity out of 7.76 million people in critical, emergency and catastrophic levels of need.

"We have worked closely with the government of South Sudan to ensure we are reaching communities most in need of assistance. The simple fact is that there are not enough resources available to the humanitarian community to meet the needs in South Sudan," Walker said.

So far, only 46 per cent of the 2023 humanitarian response plan totaling $1.7 billion has been funded, the statement said, noting that it is not enough to assist the 6.8 million people it targets to reach with life-saving assistance and protection services.

More than $300 million is also urgently needed to provide the most vital support to people fleeing the Sudan crisis into South Sudan.

According to the statement, extreme levels of food insecurity and malnutrition affect two-thirds of South Sudan's population, making the country one of the worst food insecurity emergencies in the world.

Peter Van der Auweraert, acting humanitarian coordinator for South Sudan, said vulnerable people in South Sudan suffered multiple interconnected shocks for years, adding that the outlook for these people is grim with new crises unfolding while humanitarian agencies struggle to meet basic needs.

"With international humanitarian funding expected to continue to decline, it is even more important for the government of South Sudan to accelerate and increase its investments in basic services and support for sustainable solutions to address people's basic needs across the country," Auweraert added.