A U.S. diplomat on Tuesday questioned the impact of billions of dollars in oil revenue and international aid spent in South Sudan since independence, as food insecurity continues to worsen across the country.
Charles Vetter, senior assistant coordinator at the U.S. Embassy in Juba, said the deteriorating humanitarian situation raises concerns over governance, accountability and the use of national resources.
“The numbers speak for themselves. They are skyrocketing,” Vetter said during remarks at the release of the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification report. “This comes despite the fact that since independence, according to the UN, South Sudan has taken in around 25 billion dollars in oil revenue, and donors gathered in this room have invested countless billions more. The United States government has provided 9.5 billion dollars alone since independence. And where has that gotten us?”
Vetter blamed continued conflict, weak public investment and what he described as obstruction of humanitarian assistance for deepening hunger, saying the factors have displaced hundreds of thousands of people and limited aid delivery to vulnerable communities.
He also accused the government of failing to prioritise public services, saying resources were not being channelled into essential sectors.
“The transitional government continues to refuse to invest national resources in delivering public services,” Vetter said. “Instead, it is looking to all of us who have gathered in this room to provide health services, education and public infrastructure.”
He also cited alleged interference in humanitarian operations, including reports of looting of food supplies intended for people in need, and called for stronger accountability and an end to obstruction of aid.
The report showed that the food security situation in South Sudan is worse than previously projected in its September 2025 analysis, with 7.8 million people expected to face high levels of acute food insecurity between April and July 2026, an increase of 280,000 people in IPC Phase 3 or above.
It said about 73,000 people are projected to face IPC Phase 5 conditions, characterised by death, starvation and the collapse of livelihoods. A further 2.5 million people are in IPC Phase 4, facing large food gaps and very high levels of acute malnutrition, while about 5.3 million people in IPC Phase 3 are relying on unsustainable coping strategies to meet basic food needs.
The report also warned of a worsening nutrition situation, with about 2.2 million children aged 6 to 59 months requiring treatment, an increase of 90,000 cases from the previous analysis. It said the number of pregnant and breastfeeding women needing nutrition support had risen to 1.2 million from 1.1 million.
It added that a risk of famine analysis identified four counties at risk of famine, compared with one county in the previous assessment.
The situation is being driven by conflict and displacement, restricted humanitarian access, high food prices, disease outbreaks, poor water and sanitation conditions and severe funding gaps, the report said, warning that conditions could deteriorate further without additional resources and improved access.
Government officials rejected what they described as broad criticism of state institutions.
Onyoti Adigo Nyikwach, South Sudan’s minister for livestock and fisheries, said the crisis is driven by multiple factors, including conflict, climate shocks and disease outbreaks.
“The first challenge is climate change, where most areas are affected by floods, making it difficult for people to farm,” Onyoti said. “Conflict is also a major issue displacing people, and without peace and stability, we cannot move forward.”
He said South Sudan has significant natural resources but production has been hampered by instability and underutilisation.
“The government’s responsibility is to serve its people. But this is not something the government can do alone. It requires all of us together, government, partners and development agencies, to save our people,” he said.
He called for increased investment in agriculture and local food production, including livestock and fisheries, saying the country could achieve food self-sufficiency with adequate support.
Humanitarian agencies have repeatedly warned that conflict, displacement, rising prices and restricted access are worsening the crisis, and have called for urgent funding and improved access to affected populations.
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