More than half of South Sudan’s population is expected to face severe hunger during the 2026 lean season, according to a new Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report released Tuesday, According to “Anadolu”. The assessment warns that roughly 7.56 million people including more than 2 million children will experience crisis or worse levels of food insecurity between April and July 2026.
The report, compiled by UN agencies and South Sudan’s government, paints a grim picture of a nation caught in a cycle of conflict, flooding, and displacement. Localized violence and civil unrest have uprooted thousands, while heavy floods continue to destroy farmland and cripple agricultural production. Together, these crises have left millions without reliable access to food, water, and health services.
Currently, about 5.97 million people, or 42% of South Sudan’s population, are already enduring severe food shortages. Of these, 1.3 million are in emergency conditions (IPC Phase 4), and 28,000 are classified under famine-like catastrophe conditions (IPC Phase 5). Luakpiny/Nasir County in Upper Nile is at particular risk of famine if the situation worsens.
“The hunger we are witnessing in South Sudan stems from disrupted agricultural systems that should be able to feed the country,” said Meshack Malo, the Food and Agriculture Organization’s representative in South Sudan. “Lasting peace and revitalized agri-food systems are essential to ending hunger.”
Humanitarian agencies say access remains perilously limited. Insecurity, looting, poor roads, and flooding have isolated entire regions for months, cutting communities off from food assistance and healthcare.
“This is an alarming trajectory,” said Mary-Ellen McGroarty, World Food Program country director. “Where peace and access hold, recovery begins. But without sustained support, progress will vanish.”
UNICEF warned that 2.1 million children under five and 1.1 million mothers could suffer acute malnutrition by mid-2026, as disease outbreaks like cholera deepen the crisis.
South Sudan’s government said it will continue working with partners to assist vulnerable families, but admitted that funding shortfalls threaten the humanitarian response.
