The World Health Organisation (WHO) has threatened to stop mobilising donors to support South Sudan's health sector, saying Juba is spending a huge portion of its budget on the military at the expense of sectors such as health and education.

WHO representative to South Sudan Abdu Almuniem Osman said that the young nation must take responsibility and direct adequate cash to the health sector.

He pointed out that donors have not realised the impact of the millions of dollars they spend on the sector due to Juba's lack of transparency.

Mr Osman said that in future donor funds would only be mobilised on condition that Juba commits to allocating the necessary budget to the health sector.

“For the government to own the health system, there is a need for it to allocate the necessary budget for services in the country to carry on, and then we would be able to mobilise all donors to support the sector,” he said.

Government has reduced budgetary allocations to the health sector to 1 per cent this financial year, from four per cent in 2012. The military sector was allocated 60 per cent of the 2016/2017 national budget.

South Sudan's economy has been strained by a decline in oil production and ongoing fighting between rebels and government forces.