Hunger Crisis Deepens in South Sudan Amid Conflict and Flooding
A global hunger monitor warns that renewed fighting, floods, and challenges to aid access are worsening the humanitarian crisis.
More than 7.55 million people in South Sudan are projected to face malnutrition during next year’s April-to-July lean season, according to a United Nations-backed food security watchdog.
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) issued the stark warning on Tuesday, projecting a dramatic worsening of hunger as fighting intensifies and global aid funding dwindles.
This assessment comes as the country faces the threat of renewed civil war following President Salva Kiir’s suspension of his main rival, First Vice President Riek Machar, who now faces treason charges.
Currently, about 5.97 million South Sudanese—42 percent of the analyzed population—are experiencing acute malnutrition. In the worst-affected areas of Luakpiny Nasir and Fangak, some 28,000 people are already living in catastrophic conditions, the IPC’s most severe classification.
The report stated that six counties are expected to reach the most critical levels of acute malnutrition by 2026, driven by conflict-driven displacement, restricted access to food and water, and a spreading cholera outbreak.
More than 2.1 million children under five and 1.15 million pregnant and breastfeeding women are at risk of acute malnutrition by June 2026.
“The high severity of acute food insecurity in South Sudan is of great concern, requiring an immediate and large-scale response to save lives,” the IPC report said.
Humanitarian access remains a critical challenge, with insecurity, looting, and flooding isolating entire communities for months.
“This is an alarming trajectory,” said Mary-Ellen McGroarty, the World Food Programme’s country director in South Sudan. “While progress is encouraging in some peaceful areas, it is crucial that we sustain the momentum to ensure lasting positive change.”
The hunger emergency stems from a cascade of crises. Renewed fighting between government forces and militias aligned with Machar has killed nearly 2,000 people this year and displaced more than 445,000.
Since its independence in 2011, South Sudan has cycled through civil war, fragile peace deals, and ongoing political instability, leading to repeated humanitarian emergencies.
A 2018 peace deal established a weak power-sharing arrangement, but its provisions were never fully implemented. The agreement now faces its most serious test amid Machar’s imprisonment and trial.