Amanze ChinonyeThe United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has warned that millions of people in South Sudan could lose access to humanitarian food assistance due to a severe funding shortfall.
The agency says that while it has reached over two million people with life-saving aid so far this year, escalating needs and shrinking resources threaten to unravel recent gains.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelCurrently, half of South Sudan’s population, about 7.7 million people, are facing acute food insecurity, with 83,000 people suffering from catastrophic levels of hunger, the highest category on the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC).
Areas like Upper Nile State, which has experienced ongoing conflict since March, are among the worst hit, displacing thousands and limiting access to food and aid.
Nasir and Ulang counties in Upper Nile are reported to be at high risk of famine. Among the hungry are 39,000 people who fled conflict in neighboring Sudan and have since returned to South Sudan. Meanwhile, a record 2.3 million children are at risk of malnutrition, particularly in conflict zones and flood-affected areas such as Bentiu.
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Despite the challenges, WFP has managed to deliver significant aid in areas where access was possible. In Uror County, Jonglei State, food assistance helped lift all pockets of IPC5-level hunger. In ten other counties where violence had subsided, agricultural production improved, slightly easing the crisis.
The ongoing conflict in Sudan has also created an influx of nearly 1.2 million refugees into South Sudan since April 2023, many of whom are arriving in urgent need of food, shelter, and medical care.
To address immediate needs, WFP has supported over two million vulnerable individuals this year, including more than 300,000 affected by conflict in Upper Nile. In July, the agency conducted emergency food airdrops to reach remote areas in the Greater Upper Nile region, delivering 430 metric tons of aid and targeting 40,000 people. River convoys have also resumed after months of halted access, with a recent 1,380-metric-ton shipment departing Bor for Upper Nile on July 16.
Air support operations continue via the United Nations Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS), which is operating flights to seven critical locations in Upper Nile, including Maban, Malakal, and Renk. These services are essential for delivering cargo and accessing isolated communities.
In response to a cholera outbreak in Upper Nile, the WFP-led logistics cluster has airlifted 109 metric tons of medical supplies to affected areas in Upper Nile and Unity states since March.
Despite these efforts, funding constraints have become a critical bottleneck. WFP currently has enough resources to assist only 2.5 million people, just 30 percent of those in urgent need with emergency food aid. In most cases, these communities are receiving just half of the required rations.
WFP urgently requires an additional US$274 million to maintain this level of support through the end of the year. Without new funding, further reductions in food rations are expected as early as September.
Speaking after a visit to South Sudan from July 17–20, WFP Deputy Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer, Carl Skau, painted a bleak picture. “The scale of the humanitarian needs in South Sudan is staggering. But the scale of suffering here does not make headlines,” he said. “Whether it’s families trapped every year by flooding in Unity state or others trapped by conflict in Upper Nile state, millions of mothers, fathers, and children spend each day fighting hunger to survive.”
“WFP is here, providing whatever assistance we can, however we can. But rising needs and shrinking resources are forcing us to scale back, even in places where people are on the brink of famine,” he added.
“WFP has the expertise, the teams, and the capacity to deliver, even in the most remote and challenging environments. But without sufficient funding and a period of peace, our hands are tied. This is a country endowed with natural resources and a vibrant, youthful population. It is time to unlock its full potential.”
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