Record-high levels of hunger across South Sudan are caused by a deadly combination of man-made conflict and changing weather. 2018’s poor harvest and a longer-than-normal dry season have left 61% of the population in acute levels of food insecurity or worse. WFP is doing everything it can to save lives and build communities’ resilience so they can sustain themselves.
Fleeing Hunger: Decades of Fighting
June 2019
Three UN agencies warn that 61% of the population – the highest rate ever – is projected to face crisis levels of food insecurity or worse by the end of July. The ongoing lean season started early due to record low stocks from the poor 2018 harvest and the delay of seasonal rains.
Source: Press release Photo: WFP/George Fominyen
October 2018
Fears rise again of another famine in South Sudan, with more than 4 million people severely hungry.
Photo: WFP/George Fominyen
August 2018
South Sudan is declared the most dangerous country for aid workers.
Photo: WFP/Giulio d'Adamo
August 2017
The United Nations announces that 1 million South Sudanese refugees have crossed into Uganda.
Photo: WFP/James Akena
June 2017
Famine declaration is rolled back, thanks to a massive humanitarian response.
February 2017
Famine is declared in two areas of South Sudan, the first since the Horn of Africa crisis in 2011.
August 2015
A peace deal is signed, only to fall apart early the next year.
December 2013
Civil war breaks out in South Sudan, pitting the government against rebels.
61% of South Sudanese people are projected to face crisis levels of food insecurity – or worse – by July.
- 6.96m people face severe hunger
- 2.1m women and children are acutely malnourished
- 21,000 people are at risk of famine
Because of the severe situation in South Sudan, the World Food Programme is working to reach 5.1 million people with food assistance.
Nyagiech
After her home was ransacked, Nyagiech is now able to feed her children.
Diko
Diko works for WFP everyday to make sure the people of her homeland have what they need to survive.
Peter
Seven-year-old Peter Mabor makes toy WFP planes out of mud. The planes deliver vital supplies to hard-to-reach communities.
Meeting the challenge
WFP uses smart, innovative solutions to feed South Sudanese families across the region. These innovations include airdrops, all-terrain vehicles, river barges, and SCOPE registration.
Airdrops
Airdrops are a critical last resort for families trapped in dangerous and inaccessible areas of South Sudan. These places are cut off from the world by conditions that makes roads impassable. Airdrops allow WFP to reach these areas with emergency food supplies.
All-terrain vehicles
All-terrain vehicles, known as SHERPs, deliver lifesaving food to communities in the hardest-to-reach places and most challenging of circumstances. They can cope with the toughest road conditions, overcome obstacles in their way, and even float across water.
River barges
The Nile river gives WFP access to hungry families that can’t be reached by road. That’s why the humanitarian agency uses river barges to deliver food to towns like Malakal, where hunger has reached emergency levels and people desperately need food assistance.
SCOPE
Blockchain technology enhances WFP’s ability to register and document people who receive food assistance. The SCOPE system helps workers in South Sudan track an individual’s nutrition and health status and identify when a person has recovered and treatment is successful.
Help us realize a future beyond emergency assistance where our help is no longer needed.
Let’s build people’s knowledge, skills and resilience. Let’s invest in economic opportunities and sustainable food systems so that all South Sudanese families can get the nutrition they need to reach their full potential.