BREAKING: 7.8 Million Face Acute Hunger in South Sudan, UN Agencies Warn of ‘Irreversible Catastrophe’
JUBA, South Sudan — A devastating hunger crisis is gripping South Sudan, with 7.8 million people — more than half the country’s population — facing high levels of acute food insecurity between April and July 2026, according to a joint warning issued by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Food Programme (WFP), and UNICEF.
The UN-backed report, published Tuesday, warns that 56 percent of South Sudan’s population will experience crisis-level hunger or worse during the upcoming lean season, marking one of the worst food security emergencies in the country’s history since independence in 2011.
Children Bear the Brunt
The findings are particularly alarming for children. According to the report, 2.2 million children aged six months to five years are now suffering from acute malnutrition — an increase of 100,000 over the past six months alone. Approximately 700,000 children are at grave risk of death if urgent action is not taken.
“We are facing an irreversible humanitarian catastrophe if the international community does not act now,” the agencies stated in a joint declaration. “Time is running out.”
Conflict and Displacement Fueling Crisis
The humanitarian catastrophe is being driven by multiple compounding factors: ongoing ethnic conflict, mass displacement, the spillover of fighting from neighboring Sudan, and climate-related shocks including severe flooding and drought cycles. South Sudan’s worsening economic crisis has further deepened the emergency.
Nutritional services across the country have been damaged or shuttered due to ongoing fighting, while supply shortages and inadequate funding have drastically reduced access to life-saving treatment.
Fears are also mounting that the world’s youngest nation could slide back into full-scale civil war, more than seven years after the 2018 peace agreement that ended a conflict claiming nearly 400,000 lives. Heavy clashes between the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces and opposition groups have intensified in recent months.
Political Tensions Rise
The crisis unfolds against a backdrop of deepening political instability. Suspended Vice President Riek Machar is currently on trial in Juba facing charges of murder, treason, and crimes against humanity — charges he denies. The political feud between Machar and President Salva Kiir Mayardit continues to destabilize the fragile peace process.
Appeal for Urgent Action
FAO, WFP, and UNICEF are urgently calling on international donors and humanitarian partners to provide flexible, immediate funding to scale up food assistance, nutrition programs, and healthcare services across the country. The agencies warn that without a rapid injection of resources, the number of people slipping into catastrophic hunger levels will accelerate dramatically in the coming weeks.
South Sudan remains one of the poorest countries in the world, and this latest crisis threatens to undo years of development gains. JubaGlobal will continue to monitor this developing story closely.
Reporting by JubaGlobal News Desk | April 30, 2026
