NAIROBI, Kenya- A worsening humanitarian crisis is unfolding in South Sudan, where 7.8 million people, more than half the population, are facing severe food shortages, according to a joint warning by Food and Agriculture Organization, World Food Programme and UNICEF.
The agencies say the country is teetering on the edge of catastrophe, with conflict, displacement and climate shocks combining to push hunger levels to one of the highest globally.
Millions in Crisis
New data from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) shows that 7.8 million people are expected to face acute food insecurity between April and July 2026.
Of these, 73,300 are already experiencing Catastrophe (IPC Phase 5), the most extreme level, where starvation and death are imminent.
A further 2.5 million people are classified in Emergency (IPC Phase 4), while 5.3 million are in Crisis (IPC Phase 3), highlighting the scale of a crisis that continues to deepen.
Children Bear the Brunt
The impact on children is particularly severe. An estimated 2.2 million children under the age of five are suffering from acute malnutrition—an increase of 100,000 in just six months.
Among them, nearly 700,000 face severe acute malnutrition, the deadliest form of hunger, putting them at high risk of death.
Additionally, 1.2 million pregnant and breastfeeding women are acutely malnourished, raising concerns about long-term health impacts for both mothers and infants.
Conflict and Displacement Driving Hunger
The crisis is being fuelled by escalating violence, particularly in regions such as Jonglei State and Upper Nile State, where hundreds of thousands have been displaced.
In Jonglei alone, nearly 300,000 people have fled their homes, cutting them off from food supplies and humanitarian aid.
Disrupted markets, soaring food prices and weakened household incomes have further worsened access to food.
Humanitarian agencies warn of a credible risk of famine in at least four counties across Upper Nile and Jonglei, especially if conflict intensifies and access to affected populations remains restricted.
Disease and Collapsing Services
The hunger crisis is being compounded by outbreaks of diseases such as cholera, malaria and measles, particularly in areas where health facilities have been damaged or destroyed.
Limited funding and supply shortages have also reduced access to life-saving treatment, leaving already vulnerable communities at even greater risk.
Race Against Time
Aid agencies say they are scaling up efforts, but warn that access remains uneven, with some areas completely cut off due to insecurity and logistical challenges.
“We are now engaged in a critical race against time,” said Ross Smith of the World Food Programme, warning that ongoing conflict and access constraints could prevent aid from reaching those most in need.
UNICEF’s emergency director Lucia Elmi described the situation as a “deadly downward spiral,” stressing that delays in humanitarian access could cost children their lives.
The agencies are calling on the international community to urgently increase funding for food assistance, nutrition programmes, healthcare, and clean water and sanitation services.
They also urged all parties to the conflict to allow safe and unrestricted humanitarian access and to protect civilians.
Without immediate and large-scale intervention, aid groups warn that South Sudan risks slipping into a full-scale humanitarian catastrophe, with millions more pushed deeper into hunger.
