A new food security assessment has warned that South Sudan’s hunger situation is worsening, with millions of people expected to face acute food insecurity during the April to July lean season, according to the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report released by the government and humanitarian partners on Tuesday.
Officials said the situation has worsened compared to late 2025, with about 73,000 people already in catastrophic conditions (IPC Phase 5), while millions more struggle to meet basic food needs.
“The latest IPC analysis indicates a worsening food security situation across the country,” said Lily Albino Akol, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, warning that the crisis is deepening as the lean season approaches.
The report also highlights a sharp rise in malnutrition, with 2.2 million children and 1.2 million pregnant and breastfeeding women in need of urgent treatment.
For her part, the Acting UN Humanitarian Coordinator, Noala Skinner, described the findings as alarming, saying over 7.8 million South Sudanese are now food insecure due to multiple shocks overwhelming already vulnerable communities.
“The situation requires urgent, coordinated and sustained action,” she said, calling for scaled-up life-saving assistance and improved humanitarian access to reach those in need.
According to the report, the worst-affected areas include parts of Jonglei and Upper Nile states, where some counties face a risk of famine if assistance is not urgently delivered.
Authorities attribute the worsening situation to a combination of conflict, displacement, flooding, rising food prices, and limited access to humanitarian aid. More than 280,000 people have been displaced in recent months, disrupting livelihoods and cutting off access to markets and services.
Aid agencies warned that insecurity continues to hinder the delivery of assistance, with access constraints slowing response efforts in some of the hardest-hit areas.
Food and Agriculture Organisation Country Representative Félix Dzvurumi said while emergency assistance remains critical, long-term solutions must focus on boosting local food production and strengthening agriculture.
He noted that some progress has been recorded in crop production, livestock, and fisheries, showing that communities can recover and produce enough food when they have access to land, markets, and basic support.
Meanwhile, Jose Ferrao, the Deputy Country Representative for the World Food Programme, warned that earlier gains in food security have been reversed, describing the latest findings as a “stark warning” of how fragile the situation remains.
The agency stressed that conflict and insecurity continue to drive hunger and called for safe and sustained humanitarian access, as well as immediate resource mobilization to scale up assistance.
The government urged stakeholders, including the media, to avoid premature declarations of famine while acknowledging the seriousness of the crisis and the risk facing vulnerable communities.
Officials and aid agencies called for urgent action to prevent further deterioration, protect livelihoods, and support long-term recovery across the country.
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