File: Displaced women prepare a meal in the open - Awerial, Feb 8, 2014

The heads of the World Food Program and the UN Refugee Agency say millions of people will face hunger in the coming months if the situation in South Sudan doesn’t improve.

The Executive Director of W-F-P, Ertharin Cousin, and the UN Higher Commissioner for Refugees, Antonio Guterres, paid a two-day visit to the country.

They met conflict-affected people and reviewed the on-going response and humanitarian needs.

Addressing a press conference in Juba, Madam Cousin appealed to the international community to support the UN agencies to help the people affected by the conflict.

“We’re asking for resources to assist us to ensure that we don’t have a food crisis, a hunger crisis, a malnutrition crisis in South Sudan,” he said.

The UNHCR’s Antonio Guterres said the solution to the humanitarian crisis in South Sudan is peace.

He urged the international community to support the warring parties to bring lasting peace to their country.

“There is never a humanitarian solution for a humanitarian crisis,” cautioned Mr Guterres, “the solution is always political; the solution is peace, and only the South Sudanese can bring peace to the country.”

“But my appeal to the international community is to come together to join efforts and to do everything possible for the parties to forge peace.”

The UNHCR is appealing for 370 million US dollars for supporting nearly 250,000 South Sudanese who have sought refuge in the four neighboring countries

There are over 800,000 people who have been displaced internally by the on-going conflict in South Sudan.