UN agencies, including the Food and Agriculture Organization, the World Food Programme and UNICEF, warned on 28 April 2026 that 7.8 million people in South Sudan, or 56% of the population, are projected to face high levels of acute food insecurity between April and July 2026. The projection covers IPC Phase 3 or above under the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification system.
Integrated Food Security Phase Classification
The IPC is a global scale used to classify food insecurity into five phases. IPC Phase 3 is Crisis, IPC Phase 4 is Emergency, and IPC Phase 5 is Catastrophe or Famine.
- 7.8 million people are projected to face IPC Phase 3 or above between April and July 2026.
- 2.5 million people are projected to be in IPC Phase 4, and 5.3 million people are projected to be in IPC Phase 3.
- 73,300 people are projected to face IPC Phase 5, which is 160% higher than the last estimate.
- The number in IPC Phase 3 or above is about 280,000 higher than in the September 2025 IPC analysis.
Malnutrition and Vulnerable Groups
An estimated 2.2 million children aged 6 to 59 months require treatment for acute malnutrition in South Sudan. The estimate for pregnant and breastfeeding women with acute malnutrition stands at 1.2 million.
Drivers of the Crisis
The main drivers include conflict, displacement, economic decline, flooding and below-capacity agricultural production. High food prices, disease outbreaks, poor water and sanitation, and funding shortfalls have also affected humanitarian conditions.
Famine Risk in Counties
UN agencies identified a credible risk of famine in Luakpiny/Nasir and Ulang counties in Upper Nile State, and in Nyirol and Akobo counties in Jonglei State, under plausible worst-case conditions. Earlier projections in November 2025 estimated that 7.56 million people would face crisis or worse hunger during the April-July 2026 lean season.
Last Modified: April 29, 2026