South Sudan | World Food Programme

South Sudan is simultaneously drowning and drying as the climate crisis tightens its grip. An unprecedented flooding crisis has swallowed large swathes of the country while other parts are grappling with devastating drought.

Two-thirds of the population – over 7.7 million people – are facing crisis or worse levels of hunger. This is the highest number ever, surpassing that seen even at the height of the country’s civil war.

Four consecutive years of record flooding has led to widespread displacement, the destruction of livelihoods and the loss of arable land – contributing to rising hunger. The effects of these concurrent climate shocks are compounded by rising food and fuel prices and ongoing conflict.

While much of WFP’s activities are focused on keeping people alive, we are also working with conflict and climate-affected communities to implement long-term solutions to reduce hunger.

WFP urgently needs an additional US$567 million over the next 6 months to continue life-saving assistance and invest in long-term resilience-building initiatives. Funding levels for both humanitarian responses and resilience-building are failing to keep pace with rising needs. This means WFP can only provide half rations and must prioritize life-saving assistance for those closest to famine.