June 20, 2012 (JUBA) – At least four million South Sudanese, nearly half of the country’s population, still live below the poverty, implying that one out of every two individuals cannot obtain the minimum level of basic needs, a survey conducted by the National Bureau of Statics (NBS) indicates. “There is a much higher level of poverty in rural than urban areas. While more than half of the rural population lives below the poverty lined, one in four people does the same in urban areas,” the report reads in part. According to the survey, for instance, average food consumption in urban areas is SSP 109 (about $35) per person monthly, which is reportedly 50 percent more than food consumption in rural areas, estimated at just SSP 73 ($20) per month. The survey, carried out between April and May 2009, cites the Greater Bahr el Ghazal region as the poorest region in South Sudan, with the highest poverty levels (62%), followed by the Greater Equatoria (45%) and the Greater Upper Nile (44%).
http://www.sudantribune.com/Over-4-million-S-Sudanese-still,42986