Khartoum, Sudan — A dire situation looms in South Sudan, where the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) has reported a catastrophic escalation in food insecurity and malnutrition. With 7. 8 million people now experiencing high acute food insecurity, an increase of 280,000 since September 2025, the risk of famine is palpable.
The crisis is most severe in Jonglei and Upper Nile states, where 73,000 individuals are in IPC Phase 5, the highest level of food insecurity, threatening starvation and death.
In the counties of Luakpiny/Nasir, Ulang, Nyirol, and Akobo, the threat of famine is exacerbated by conflict, displacement, and limited humanitarian access. Acute malnutrition has reached critical levels, with 2. 2 million children and 1.
2 million pregnant or breastfeeding women in need of treatment, marking a 90,000-case increase since November 2025. Ten counties are in IPC Acute Malnutrition Phase 5, signifying an extremely critical situation. Key drivers of this crisis include ongoing conflict, displacement, health system failures, economic collapse, deteriorating water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services, and climatic shocks.
Immediate, large — scale, multi-sectorial humanitarian intervention is crucial to prevent mass starvation and halt the worsening malnutrition crisis.
As of mid — April 2026, only 22% of the humanitarian plan for 2026 was funded, indicating a significant shortfall that is leaving critical aid operations underfunded and struggling to meet the urgent needs on the ground.
The protracted civil conflict that began in 2011 following South Sudan’s independence from Sudan has compounded the nation’s food security challenges, further exacerbated by climate change and economic downturns.
The international community is urged to act with urgency to prevent a full — blown famine in South Sudan, emphasizing the need for immediate and scaled-up humanitarian assistance and sustainable solutions to address the root causes of the crisis.
*Additional reporting by ImNews | Sources consulted: 5*
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This original article was produced by the ImNews editorial team
Source: reliefweb
Source: European Commission's Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations
