The war in Ukraine is having a “ripple effect” in South Sudan, where the World Food Programme (WFP) is working to feed millions of people battered by conflict, unprecedented flooding, and displacement.  

Food prices in the world’s youngest nation were already increasing because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the war has disrupted supply chains, resulting in rising costs for staples such as sorghum, maize and vegetable oil. 

Fuel prices have also skyrocketed, and WFP is now spending $1 million dollars more each month to keep its trucks on the road. 

Matthew Hollingworth, WFP Country Director in South Sudan, explained to UN News’s Dianne Penn why the agency is being forced to make some tough decisions around aid distribution.