Hunger crisis worsens in South Sudan amid conflict, floods, observer says | Flood News

The resumption of fighting, floods and difficulties in accessing aid are worsening the humanitarian crisis, according to the Hunger Observatory.

More than 7.55 million people in South Sudan will face malnutrition during the lean season from April to July next year, when food supplies are typically lower, according to a global hunger monitor.

The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), a United Nations-backed food security watchdog, issued a stark warning on Tuesday, predicting that hunger will worsen significantly in the coming months as fighting between rival political factions intensifies and global aid funding dwindles.

The assessment comes as the country stands on the brink of a new civil war following President Salva Kiir’s suspension of his main political rival and first vice president Riek Machar, who faces trial for treason.

About 5.97 million South Sudanese, or 42 percent of the analyzed population, currently face acute malnutrition, the IPC said.

Some 28,000 people in Luakpiny Nasir and Fangak are already classified as living in catastrophic conditions, the IPC’s most severe category, amid ongoing conflict and flooding.

Six counties are expected to reach the most critical levels of acute malnutrition in 2026, mainly due to conflict-induced displacement and restricted access to food, water and health services, as well as a spreading cholera epidemic, the report said.

More than 2.1 million children under five and 1.15 million pregnant and lactating women are at risk of acute malnutrition by June 2026, the report said.

“The high severity of acute food insecurity in South Sudan is of great concern and requires an immediate and large-scale response to save lives,” the IPC report said.

Humanitarian access remains one of the most critical challenges, the report says. In many parts of the country, insecurity, looting and flooding have isolated entire communities for months, the statement said.

“This is an alarming trajectory,” said Mary-Ellen McGroarty, country director of the World Food Program in South Sudan.

“Persistent levels of hunger remain deeply concerning. In countries where peace is maintained and actors have consistent access and resources, people have taken the first steps towards recovery. While this progress is encouraging, it is crucial that we maintain momentum to ensure lasting positive change in all affected communities.”

The food emergency situation results from a cascade of crises. Renewed fighting between government forces and militias aligned with Machar has killed nearly 2,000 people this year and displaced more than 445,000, according to figures from the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Since gaining independence in 2011, South Sudan has endured civil war, fragile peace deals and persistent political instability, leading to a range of humanitarian emergencies.

Two years after independence, President Kiir, from the majority Dinka ethnic group, dismissed Machar, a Nuer from the country’s second-largest community, leading to a civil war along ethnic lines that killed an estimated 400,000 people.

A 2018 peace deal restored a weak power-sharing arrangement, but its provisions have not been properly implemented. The agreement faces its most serious recent test, with Machar’s imprisonment and trial.