South Sudan on the brink of catastrophic hunger crisis

A new report issued this week (28 April 2026) by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) – a UN and government backed initiative that monitors the severity of food crises worldwide – has found that 73,000 people in South Sudan are at risk of famine, while 7.8 million are facing crisis levels of food insecurity and 2.2 million children are now malnourished.

The findings represent an alarming deterioration in the food supply in the country, with South Sudan rapidly becoming one of the world’s most severe hunger crises.

Bethan Lewis, Head of Humanitarian at Plan International UK said: “This is an urgent wake-up call for the international community and UK Government. Despite minimal global attention, South Sudan has become one of the world’s worst hunger crises, and thousands of children and families are at risk of starvation without immediate intervention.
 
“A lethal combination of brutal conflict, mass displacement and economic hardship is forcing children into extreme hunger. Food prices are soaring and families cannot afford to feed themselves. The situation is particularly severe for girls and young women: when starvation strikes it is almost always girls who eat last and least, while they are also placed at heightened risk of early marriage and other negative coping mechanisms as families struggle to feed their children.  

“The escalating hunger catastrophe in South Sudan shows once again that the UK Government’s decision to slash overseas aid comes at the worst possible time for the world’s most vulnerable children. The Government cannot turn its back on this crisis – it must commit to protecting life-saving humanitarian funding for South Sudan so that children’s lives can be saved before it’s too late.”  

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Notes to editors:

About Plan International UK

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Poverty, violence, and discrimination still hold back millions of children around the world. And it’s often girls that are most affected. That’s why ensuring girls get equal chances in life is at the heart of everything we do.  

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