Aid agencies tackling the humanitarian crisis in South Sudan have revealed that they only have half the funding needed, but the Disasters Emergency Committee says public awareness is too low to launch an appeal.

Member agencies of the DEC have reported to the charity that they are seeking £236m to respond to the food crisis and other urgent needs that have been created by the civil war, but have so far only secured £117m – 49 per cent of what is needed.

Saleh Saeed (pictured), chief executive of the DEC, has said that the funding shortfall has led the charity to assess the situation in South Sudan against its appeal criteria, but has concluded that public awareness of the crisis is currently too low.

Saeed said: “If there were a DEC appeal, we know our member agencies have the capacity to spend that money effectively, despite the conflict and the rainy season. But we are very concerned that despite some excellent news coverage of the situation, public awareness of the crisis in the UK remains very low, making a successful appeal extremely difficult.”

The DEC has said that the massive shortfall in funding comes despite the fact that 4.6m people in South Sudan face a crisis or emergency levels of food insecurity, according to the latest available statistics. It says a further 3.2m are facing food stress and also need aid.

Less than half of the 7.8m people in need of aid are receiving help because of “ongoing fighting, the appalling state of the roads and the huge funding shortfall”.

It says that the situation is worse than the same time last year, where 3.9m people were in crisis or emergency levels of food security.

The DEC said that in the areas most affected by the conflict an increasing number of families are facing “catastrophe” - the worst in a series of technical categories of household food deprivation.

Today’s warning by the DEC comes alongside a critical deadline in the peace process, which many in South Sudan hope will result in a meaningful cessation of hostilities. The DEC has said, however, that even if a peace deal is reached, millions of people in South Sudan will “continue to need humanitarian assistance for months to come”.

Saeed said: “Millions of people in South Sudan are going hungry right now because of this hidden and growing crisis. Despite its seriousness, the world is unable to find enough money to fund an aid effort which is so desperately needed.

“We are frustrated that the South Sudan crisis is being virtually ignored by the world. This situation is as serious as those in the Middle East, but gets a fraction of the world’s attention. That’s not good enough.

“There are many excuses for struggling to get aid to people in South Sudan. Yes, conflict and poor roads make delivering aid extremely difficult. But the DEC’s member agencies have the skill, the experience and the determination to meet these challenges. However a lack of money hampers any aid effort right from the start.

“There are no simple or easy solutions to this conflict and the food crisis it has caused but that is no excuse for not doing what we can.”  

Thousands have died and more than two million have been displaced since fighting broke out in 2013