More than 650,000 Sudanese refugees in South Sudan could lose food assistance in the coming weeks due to a funding shortage.
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said South Sudan is among the countries most severely affected by hunger worldwide.
More than 7.8 million people, representing over half of the country’s population, are facing hunger, while 2.2 million children are suffering from malnutrition.
South Sudan also receives around 3,000 refugees and returnees from Sudan every week, as the war that began there in 2023 has triggered a massive displacement crisis.
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Refugees Face Growing Hardship
The UN said that in September 2026, the final assistance will be provided to 240,000 of the most vulnerable refugees, compared with the 650,000 refugees who previously received food assistance. Regular assistance has already been reduced, with some refugees receiving only half of their usual food rations.
WFP Deputy Country Director in South Sudan, Adham Effendi, said: “This is not a future problem. It is a sad story that will unfold in the coming weeks.”
UNHCR Deputy Representative in South Sudan, Mesfin Degefu, said that if funding is not secured, no refugees will continue receiving food assistance from October.
Families have begun reducing their meals, selling their possessions, withdrawing children from school and taking on debt. Some refugees have requested assistance to return to Sudan, although UNHCR says security conditions there do not allow them to return safely.
Millions of Dollars Still Needed
WFP needs $37 million to provide assistance to refugees between October and December. From October, food assistance for 180,000 internally displaced people will also be suspended.
In November, around 600,000 people living in areas at risk of famine could also lose assistance.
UNHCR, meanwhile, has received only 28% of the $286 million it needs for its operations this year.
