South Sudan Crisis: Conflict and Hunger Deepen

South Sudan’s northeast is facing a deepening humanitarian emergency, as escalating conflict and widespread hunger threaten the lives of nearly 7.7 million people, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) warned on Wednesday.

The crisis is particularly severe among returnees escaping violence in neighboring Sudan, who now make up nearly half of those grappling with catastrophic food insecurity.

An influx of over 1.1 million displaced individuals into already strained communities has pushed local resources and aid systems to the breaking point. The situation is expected to worsen further as the country enters the pre-harvest lean season.

Adding to the emergency, a cholera outbreak has erupted in Upper Nile state, one of the regions most affected by conflict and displacement.

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In response, WFP has airlifted 35 metric tons of emergency aid to affected areas, with more supplies on standby, pending improved security conditions. The agency plans to reach over 450,000 people with critical food assistance, prioritizing those in IPC Phase 4 (emergency) and IPC Phase 5 (catastrophe) classifications of hunger.

However, ongoing violence continues to obstruct humanitarian operations, forcing aid distributions to halt in six counties.

Women and girls remain disproportionately impacted, often forced to flee multiple times amid growing insecurity.