Food Is a Human Right: 7.7 Million in South Sudan Face Acute Hunger Crisis
Recent report by the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) and World Food Programme (WFP) says conflict, floods and economic collapse are issues that could exacerbate the famine
By Chuol Chanyong
In South Sudan, the simple act of having a meal is increasingly becoming a distant dream for millions—a violation not just of dignity, but of a basic human right. Between April and July this year, an estimated 7.7 million people, or 57% of the population, will face severe hunger, according to a recent joint report by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP).
Among them, 2.5 million are in the emergency phase (IPC Phase 4), and 63,000 people teeter on the edge of famine (IPC Phase 5). These figures underscore a devastating reality: food, the most fundamental need for survival and wellbeing, is out of reach for more than half the population of the world’s youngest nation.
Escalating violence in Upper Nile, Jonglei, and Unity states has displaced over 1.8 million people, disrupting livelihoods and agricultural cycles. In areas spared from conflict, however, there have been encouraging signs. FAO’s Country Representative, Meshack Malo, pointed to the “dividends of peace,” noting improved food security in counties that have enjoyed relative stability and increased crop production, aided by humanitarian support.
Still, the challenges are staggering. The continued influx of refugees from Sudan—now over one million—has put additional strain on already scarce resources. Compounding the crisis are declining oil revenues, which have collapsed South Sudan’s currency, and soaring food prices, now five times higher than last year, leaving families unable to afford essentials.
The looming rainy season brings additional threats. Predicted floods could inundate farmland, particularly in the Sudd region, a vast wetland in central South Sudan and one of the world’s largest freshwater swamps. While it is an ecological treasure, the Sudd frequently overflows, displacing communities and destroying cropland, worsening food insecurity for some of the most agriculturally dependent populations.
The humanitarian toll is greatest among the most vulnerable. More than 50% of children in several areas are suffering from acute malnutrition, with forecasts indicating that 2.1 million children and 1.1 million pregnant or breastfeeding women will require urgent nutrition support.
Despite these urgent needs, international funding has significantly declined. Both FAO and WFP have issued a clear and urgent call to action: scale up emergency food aid, provide farming inputs before the rains begin, and invest in peacebuilding to end violence that continues to uproot lives and undermine resilience.
As South Sudan endures the long shadows of civil war and climate shocks, the crisis demands not only food parcels and statistics, but a moral reckoning. In a world capable of producing enough food for all, no person—let alone an entire nation—should face hunger.
Access to food is not a privilege. It is a right, enshrined in international law, essential to the pursuit of happiness, and the foundation of a just and peaceful society. In South Sudan, that right must be upheld—urgently, and without compromise.
