{"id":7532,"date":"2026-04-29T16:01:59","date_gmt":"2026-04-29T16:01:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/directtopic.com\/jubaglobal.com\/south-sudan-on-the-brink-7-8-million-face-acute-hunger-as-humanitarian-catastrophe-looms\/"},"modified":"2026-04-29T16:01:59","modified_gmt":"2026-04-29T16:01:59","slug":"south-sudan-on-the-brink-7-8-million-face-acute-hunger-as-humanitarian-catastrophe-looms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/directtopic.com\/jubaglobal.com\/south-sudan-on-the-brink-7-8-million-face-acute-hunger-as-humanitarian-catastrophe-looms\/","title":{"rendered":"South Sudan on the Brink: 7.8 Million Face Acute Hunger as Humanitarian Catastrophe Looms"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

JUBA \u2014 Nearly eight million people in South Sudan are at risk of acute hunger as conflict and displacement worsen an already dire humanitarian crisis, according to a new United Nations report published Tuesday.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The report, jointly issued by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Food Programme (WFP), and the United Nations Children\u2019s Fund (UNICEF), warns that 7.8 million people \u2014 approximately 56 percent of South Sudan\u2019s population \u2014 will face high levels of acute food insecurity between April and July 2026. This includes 73,300 people already experiencing Catastrophe-level hunger, the most extreme classification.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Crisis Driven by Conflict, Climate, and Economic Collapse<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Aid agencies describe the situation as an \u201cirreversible humanitarian catastrophe\u201d if urgent international action is not taken. The crisis is being fueled by escalating conflict, mass displacement, economic decline, climate shocks, flooding, and weak agricultural production \u2014 all severely limiting food availability and access across the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rising prices and disrupted markets have further reduced household purchasing power, while in several regions, such as Jonglei State, large-scale displacement has cut entire communities off from humanitarian assistance entirely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Children Bearing the Deadliest Burden<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Child malnutrition has reached alarming levels. The report states that 2.2 million children aged six months to five years are currently acutely malnourished \u2014 an increase of 100,000 in just six months. Of these, an estimated 700,000 children are projected to suffer severe acute malnutrition, the deadliest form, placing them at grave risk of death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additionally, 1.2 million pregnant and breastfeeding women are also acutely malnourished, increasing health risks for both mothers and infants. Many nutritional services across South Sudan have been damaged or closed due to ongoing fighting, while supply shortages and inadequate funding have reduced access to life-saving treatment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Health System on the Verge of Collapse<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Humanitarian conditions are further deteriorating due to damaged health infrastructure, supply shortages, funding gaps, and the resurgence of disease outbreaks including cholera, malaria, and measles. The agencies also warn of a credible risk of famine in parts of Upper Nile and Jonglei states if conflict continues and humanitarian access remains restricted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Women and Girls Displaced in Record Numbers<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

UN Women reported separately that nearly 60 percent \u2014 223,641 \u2014 of those displaced in South Sudan since the start of 2026 are women and girls, an average of 104 every hour. Many have gone days without food as fighting intensifies across multiple regions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Political Instability Deepens the Crisis<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The humanitarian emergency unfolds against a backdrop of deepening political turmoil. Fears are growing that South Sudan could return to all-out civil war, more than seven years after the 2018 peace agreement ostensibly ended fighting that led to the deaths of nearly 400,000 people. Heavy clashes between the South Sudan People\u2019s Defence Forces and opposition groups have intensified in recent months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The tensions stem from a long-standing feud between President Salva Kiir Mayardit and suspended Vice President Riek Machar, who is currently on trial in Juba on charges of murder, treason, and crimes against humanity \u2014 charges he denies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

International Community Urged to Act Now<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

FAO, WFP, and UNICEF are calling for urgent international action, including sustained funding for food aid, nutrition services, healthcare, clean water, and sanitation. They stress the need for safe and unhindered humanitarian access and stronger protection for civilians, warning that without immediate large-scale intervention, South Sudan risks an irreversible catastrophe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTime is running out to avoid an irreversible humanitarian catastrophe,\u201d the agencies said in a joint statement. \u201cThe people of South Sudan cannot wait.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is a developing story. Follow JubaGlobal for updates.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

JUBA \u2014 Nearly eight million people in South Sudan are at risk of acute hunger…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1199,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[786,830,812,1,780],"tags":[861],"class_list":["post-7532","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-africa","category-breaking-news","category-humanitarian","category-news","category-southsudan","tag-president-of-south-sudan"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/directtopic.com\/jubaglobal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7532","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/directtopic.com\/jubaglobal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/directtopic.com\/jubaglobal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/directtopic.com\/jubaglobal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1199"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/directtopic.com\/jubaglobal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7532"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/directtopic.com\/jubaglobal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7532\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/directtopic.com\/jubaglobal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7532"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/directtopic.com\/jubaglobal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7532"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/directtopic.com\/jubaglobal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7532"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}