An influx of over 720,000 refugees and returnees fleeing escalating conflict in neighboring Sudan face a worsening hunger crisis in South Sudan amid soaring food insecurity and a deteriorating humanitarian situation. 

Already alarming levels of hunger and acute malnutrition in South Sudan are expected to intensify during the current lean season, when food stocks are severely depleted and food prices on local markets increase due to worsening inflation. The situation for vulnerable households, especially in returnee and refugee-hosting States is exacerbated by the unusually rainy season which usually runs from late April to October, with severe flooding expected. Without a significant increase in support in South Sudan, more than half of the country’s population, over 7 million people, are expected to experience hunger by the end of this year and 79,000 people will likely experience the worst extremes of starvation. Children are particularly vulnerable with 1.65 million severely malnourished children under five at high risk of dying if they don’t receive food and nutrition treatment.

Caroline Sekyewa, IRC South Sudan Country Director said,

“Families are taking extreme steps to cope, even going days without food. Malnourished children that survive this crisis will likely experience stunted growth and challenges in mental development. Urgent nutritional interventions are needed to reduce mortality rates, particularly among vulnerable children.

“In response to the deteriorating hunger crisis, IRC is  scaling up our life-saving nutritional interventions.We have deployed a rapid response team to support refugees at the Aweil East entry point and transit center in the north west of the country. This is one of the areas where the highest levels of hunger are expected. IRC will screen all under five children and pregnant and breast-feeding women on arrival, providing treatment to those that need it. 

The IRC will also implement an infant and young child feeding program through both mobile nutrition services at entry points and at transit sites. Additionally, IRC will strengthen the capacity of healthcare workers to scale up awareness and bolster referral systems.  

Despite humanitarian partners scaling up its response to wide-spread hunger, only 30% of the $1.7 billion needed to reduce the suffering has been met in South Sudan. While the humanitarian appeal in Sudan has only reached 31.5% of the $2.7 billion needed. 

The IRC Response in South Sudan 

The IRC supports people impacted by conflict and crisis, including women, children, the elderly, persons with disabilities, refugees and mixed populations. Since the beginning of the Sudan crisis, the IRC in South Sudan has been responding to the influx of refugees and returnees through delivering lifesaving assistance to prevent and reduce excess mortality and morbidity, ensuring that emergency needs are met, and acute protection concerns are addressed at points of entry. Through its programmatic response, the IRC provides services in women's protection and empowerment, focusing on gender-based violence prevention and response, along with general protection, health, water, sanitation and hygiene, and nutrition, child protection and economic empowerment and livelihoods for the affected population to restore and rebuild their future.