JUBA — The Chinese government has handed over 14,056 boxes of ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF) to the UN children's agency, UNICEF to help in the fight against child malnutrition in South Sudan.

"We are very proud to be in association with UNICEF to deliver the nutrition food to the children who are in dire need of food," said Chinese Ambassador to South Sudan Hua Ning in Juba.

Hua said Beijing is committed to scaling up bilateral and multilateral cooperation to help South Sudan address the challenges it currently faces.

"We hope that the donation from China will help to ease the nutrition situation here in South Sudan and we also hope that continued progress of South Sudan's peace talks will help to ease and finally eliminate the root (cause) of the humanitarian crisis," Hua said during the donation ceremony on Feb 15.

"We hope that every child in South Sudan will enjoy a better future," the Chinese envoy added.

Andrea Suley, UNICEF South Sudan Representative said the donation by China will help treat over 14,000 children with severe acute malnutrition.

Suley said the Chinese aid was timely and live-saving as the east African country is in the middle of a nutrition crisis with an estimated 313,000 children suffering from severe acute malnutrition in 2021.

"This RUTF from China will save lives and give children a second chance," Suley said.