The number of people who do not have enough to eat in Southern Sudan has increased significantly from initial projections, due to poor rains and escalating conflict between communities, a food early warning agency has said.

Recent assessments found that up to 1.3 million people were food insecure - an increase of 20 percent on earlier projections. Most of these were in Jonglei and Eastern Equatoria states where needs have tripled and doubled respectively, the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (Fews Net) said in a September update.

Current food insecurity, it added, would persist until late October, when harvests were expected. Despite predictions of a high probability of normal to above normal rainfall between September and December, delayed crops were at risk of flooding - something which is common in Southern Sudan.

"Persistent inter-clan and inter-tribal cattle raiding conflicts since last year, and last year's crop shortfalls caused by June-August dryness followed by floods, have been the main causes of food insecurity," it noted.

"Below average rains from May through August have now dampened the prospects for recovery that were expected with the onset of the September-October harvest, which has now been delayed."

In August, Lise Grande, the UN deputy resident and humanitarian coordinator in Southern Sudan, warned that the region faced a massive food deficit caused by a combination of late rains, high levels of insecurity and displacement, disruptions to trade and high food prices.

[ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations ]