More than one million children in South Sudan are starving to death, with people eating wild grass and plant roots in a desperate attempt to survive the worst food crisis the country has ever faced.  

The nationwide famine has forced NGOs to introduce emergency food aid programmes, in an attempt to help the approximately 3.6 million South Sudanese risking death by hunger, Aid to the Church in Need said in a statement. 

"This catastrophe comes after more than five years of conflict. Food cultivation has been disrupted, prices of food and fuel have risen and the economy has collapsed," the organisation said. 

Photo: ACN

ACN is among the organisations leading rescue efforts, and the charity's Maltese branch is now appealing to local good Samaritans to help it collect the €125,000 needed to buy emergency food supplies. 

The money will be used to buy sacks of sorghum, a type of grain that south Sudanese turn into a porridge called Asseeda. Each bag of sorghum costs €65. 

To donate, send a cheque to ACN (Malta) at  South Sudan Appeal, ACN (Malta), 39b Mdina Road Attard ATD 9038, or through APS Bank account No. 20001771733.

ACN is an international Catholic organisation founded in 1947 that strives to protect and help persecuted Christians around the world. The charity supports projects in over 140 countries ranging from building churches to providing emergency aid or transport to field workers.