South Sudan Food Insecurity

Geographic Location

• Located in East-Central Africa

• Population of 11 million

• Despite its rich natural resources and fertile land, South Sudan has faced chronic instability due to prolonged civil conflict, economic challenges, and environmental disasters.

Current Food Insecurity

• Officially declared famine in 2017

• As of late 2024, approximately 7.7 million people (57% of the population) are projected to face acute food insecurity between April and July 2025.

• Malnutrition: An estimated 2.1 million children under five are expected to suffer from acute malnutrition between July 2024 and June 2025, including 650,000 cases of Severe Acute Malnutrition

Factors causing food insecurity

• Climate Change

• Conflict/Political Instability

• Economic Challenges

Climate Change

• Flooding: Since 2021, regions like Rubkona have experienced persistent flooding, submerging communities and arable land, leading to displacement and loss of livelihoods. In 2024 alone, over 735,000 people across 38 counties were affected by floods, with 65,000 displaced. Wikipedia

• Droughts: Alternating periods of drought have further strained water resources and agricultural output, particularly in Eastern Equatoria and other regions, leading to below-average rainfall during the 2023 farming season.

• Health Impacts: Flood-affected areas are facing the worst malnutrition due to the spread of waterborne diseases and crowded conditions, aggravated by limited access to food and livelihoods.

Conflict

Ongoing internal conflicts have disrupted farming activities, displaced populations, and hindered humanitarian access:

• Armed Groups: Despite a peace agreement signed in 2018, the number of armed groups operating in South Sudan has increased. These militias often have poor control of their troops and make little effort to protect civilians or facilitate humanitarian actions. Front page - US+1Front page - US+1

• Displacement: The influx of returnees fleeing conflicts in neighboring Sudan has placed additional pressure on already scarce resources, with 41,000 people facing catastrophic levels of food insecurity, three-quarters of whom are South Sudanese returnees. Save the Children Canada

Economic Challenges

• 76% live in poverty 2022

• South Sudan's economy is heavily reliant on oil exports, which account for 95% of the country's exports. Recent disruptions in oil production and exports have led to a 90% revenue loss, exacerbating inflation and reducing the government's capacity to provide essential services.

International Aid WFP

• In 2023, WFP provided food and cash-based transfers to 3.6 million crisis-affected individuals, including returnees and refugees.

• Nutrition Support: WFP supplied specialized nutritious foods to 1.5 million children and pregnant or breastfeeding women to combat acute malnutrition.

• Logistical Operations: WFP maintains over 9,000 metric tons of food to feed more than one million people for a month.

• Funding Needs: To reach 4.5 million people by the end of the year, WFP requires an additional US$396 million.