Juba, Jul 7 (IANS): The World Food Program (WFP) said it has received $1.29 million to support humanitarian assistance in South Sudan.

Adeyinka Badejo, the acting country director of WFP in South Sudan, said the funding comes at a critical time when the North African nation is facing an unprecedented humanitarian crisis and has seen a sharp rise in the number of malnourished children, reports Xinhua news agency.

Badejo said the timing of this contribution from France is critical as the look of despair in the faces of the children impacted is unsettling.

"This remains a key priority for WFP in South Sudan and France's contribution will play a crucial role in the treatment and prevention of malnutrition for some of the most vulnerable women and children."

The WFP said it will use the contribution to provide specialized nutrition assistance for the treatment and prevention of malnutrition in 24,222 children between the age of 6-23 months, as well as pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers.

An additional 25,000 people, mainly women, will receive training and awareness-raising sessions on best practices for nutrition.

According to the UN, more than 7.74 million people are increasingly malnourished after years of conflict in the country, the impact of climate shocks such as flooding and economic crisis.

The UN has appealed for $400 million to provide minimum humanitarian services to ease South Sudanese immediate needs amid multiple interconnected shocks.

The latest UN report shows that around 1.34 million children under five years of age will suffer from acute malnutrition, with the most affected states being Jonglei, Upper Nile, Unity and Western Bahr el Ghazal.