South Sudan forest is shrinking at a worrying rate.

South Sudan forests shrank annually by nearly 1.5%, according to findings recently published.

According to a recent report, Continued destruction of South Sudan’s forest change patterns, a government official warned on Friday.

Joseph Africano Bartel, the in the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, said despite recent government efforts to crack down on illegal trade in forest products, destruction of the country’s trees continue unabated because organized criminals, often equipped with sophisticated logging tools have increased their activities in the country.

Bartel said deforestation has been made worse due to years of conflict in South Sudan, making it difficult for law enforcement officers to crack down on organized criminals.