In this photo taken Saturday, April 5, 2014, 2014, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, right, waves at people kept back by a wire fence, as he walks surrounded by U.N. security personnel in a secured location in Bangui, Central African Republic. AP

UNITED NATIONS — Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is warning that up to a million people could face famine in conflict-torn South Sudan unless there is immediate action.

Ban told reporters before meeting Wednesday with Kristalina Georgieva, the European Union’s commissioner responsible for humanitarian aid, that “life and death” issues are facing the world’s newest nation — fighting, malnutrition and dire humanitarian conditions.

He said “millions are going hungry today” and the U.N. is seeing extremely high levels of malnutrition among hundreds of thousands of people displaced by the conflict, especially women and children.

South Sudan saw massive violence sweep the country in December, when fighting broke out between troops loyal to the former vice president and president. Thousands are believed to have been killed, and more than 1 million people have fled their homes.

RELATED STORIES

UN food agency launches urgent appeal for South Sudan
UN warns of ‘war crimes’ in South Sudan