By Kei Emmanuel Duku
A scary report of South Sudan’s food security revealed that a staggering 90% of the population is struggling with low meal frequency, a stark indicator of a deepening hunger crisis.
Speaking at the launch of the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report in Juba, government officials and humanitarian leaders warned that more than half of the country will face severe acute food insecurity during the coming year’s lean season.
The situation, driven by chronic conflict, economic turmoil, and climate change, shows no sign of immediate relief. South Sudan’s Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Hussein Abdelagi Akol Agany, highlighted the dire statistics, referencing the IPC analysis for September to November 2025 where “About 5.97 million South Sudanese, representing 42 percent of the country’s population facing crisis, IPC Phase III, or worst level of acute food insecurity,” Minister Agany stated.
He projected that while the figure may slightly decline to 5.86 million (41%) during the harvest period of December 2025 to March 2026, the situation will dramatically worsen during the lean season. “This number is projected to rise again during the lean season, April to July 2026, to 7.56 million people, or 53 percent of our population.”
Minister Agany further stressed the humanitarian catastrophe in specific regions such as Luakping, Nasir, Upper Nile, and Pigi counties in Jonglei with an approximately 28,000 people expected to remain in catastrophe IPC Phase V. He attributed the persisted famine in Luakping and Nasir counties in Upper Nile state to ongoing conflict and restricted humanitarian access.
Anita Kiki Gbeho, Humanitarian/Resident Coordinator for South Sudan, described the IPC findings as “a mirror of reality, reflecting the daily struggles and resilience of millions of South Sudanese women, men, and children.”
She pinpointed the primary obstacles to recovery. “Conflict remains the single largest driver of food insecurity, displacing families, disrupting livelihoods, and cutting off markets and humanitarian access.” Ms. Gbeho added that the spillover from the war in Sudan, combined with flooding, currency depreciation, and inflation, has further devastated household resilience.
However, she offered a note of hope where stability takes root. “Where there is peace, even fragile peace, communities recover. Farmers return to their fields. Markets reopen.” She cited examples in parts of the Equatorials and Greater Bahr el Ghazal, where improved security has allowed for better planting and harvesting. “These are not small victories. They are proof that when peace holds and when partnership works, progress follows.”
Minister Agany reaffirmed the government’s commitment to addressing the root causes, stating that food security cannot be achieved without peace. “We are committed to restoring peace and stability across the country because when peace holds, productivity rises, and resilience strengthens, and hope returns.”
To better manage the cyclical crises, the government has launched the Food Security Crisis Preparedness Plan, a national framework designed to anticipate and mitigate shocks through early warning, rapid response mechanisms, and contingency financing.
The National Nutrition Policy is also being implemented to foster coordinated, multi-sectoral action across health, education, and agriculture.
Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, James Mawich Makuac, committed support to agricultural efforts. He noted that both downstream and upstream regions are severely affected by climate change and conflict. “As the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, we will be helping you… The Ministry is more than ready to give necessary assistance in the area of water irrigation. This is because, sometimes, we are also affected by drought. Whenever there is drought, we need to irrigate our schemes.”
However during the launch of the report, Minister Agany announced that South Sudan will hold a National Agriculture Conference early next year to strengthen partnerships, and mobilize investment to transform the nation’s agro-food system.