Sign in Subscribe
Food supply

Severe Funding Shortfall Threatens Ongoing Support for Food Insecure Communities in South Sudan

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has reached over two million people with life-saving assistance in South Sudan so far this year, but a severe funding shortfall threatens to disrupt ongoing support for millions of people at risk of hunger. The situation is particularly dire in Upper Nile State, where fierce fighting has displaced thousands and severely limited humanitarian access. Nasir and Ulang counties in Upper Nile are at risk of deteriorating into famine, while 2.3 million children are at-risk of malnutrition.

Key Takeaways:

  • Over 7.7 million people in South Sudan are facing severe hunger, with 83,000 people facing catastrophic levels of hunger (IPC5), the highest classification of food insecurity.
  • The WFP has reached over 2 million people with life-saving assistance in South Sudan this year, including over 300,000 impacted by the escalation of conflict in Upper Nile.
  • The WFP has delivered 430 metric tons of food and is conducting airdrops to access the most remote parts of the Greater Upper Nile region, including areas at risk of famine.
  • River convoys have resumed after access was granted for the first time in months due to fighting, carrying life-saving food assistance and non-food items.
  • The WFP urgently requires $274 million to maintain support for 2.5 million people facing severe hunger through the end of the year, providing only 50 percent rations to these communities in most cases.
  • Limiting food aid to the most vulnerable families risks undoing recent fragile gains in food security.
  • The WFP-led Logistics Cluster has airlifted 109 metric tons of cholera-related supplies to locations in Upper Nile and Unity states since March.
  • The scale of suffering in South Sudan is staggering, with millions of mothers, fathers, and children spending each day fighting hunger to survive.

Statistics:

  • 7.7 million people in South Sudan are facing severe hunger (Source: WFP)
  • 83,000 people are facing catastrophic levels of hunger (IPC5) in South Sudan (Source: WFP)
  • 2.3 million children are at-risk of malnutrition (Source: WFP)
  • 2 million people have received life-saving assistance from the WFP in South Sudan this year (Source: WFP)
  • 430 metric tons of food have been delivered by the WFP (Source: WFP)
  • 109 metric tons of cholera-related supplies have been airlifted by the WFP-led Logistics Cluster (Source: WFP)
  • $274 million is required to maintain support for 2.5 million people facing severe hunger (Source: WFP)

Sources:

  • United Nations World Food Programme (WFP)
  • AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com)

Read more