WFP Warns of $280 Million Funding Shortfall as South Sudan Food Needs Persist

The World Food Programme warned that it faces a $280 million funding shortfall over the next six months, putting food and nutrition assistance for hundreds of thousands of vulnerable people in South Sudan at risk as insecurity, rising transport costs and climate-related shocks continue to affect humanitarian operations.

WFP said about 400,000 refugees and internally displaced people could face interruptions to assistance after September distributions unless additional resources are secured. The agency, together with the U.N. refugee agency and the International Organization for Migration, is engaging the South Sudanese government on measures to inform affected refugees and displaced people about the expected impact on assistance.

In July, WFP assisted 2.36 million people across South Sudan, distributing 15,981 metric tons of food and providing $13.49 million through cash-based transfers. Those reached included 1.8 million crisis-affected people and 338,602 schoolchildren.

Humanitarian operations continue to face significant access challenges, particularly in Jonglei and Upper Nile states, where insecurity has disrupted deliveries and restricted access to vulnerable communities.

In Jonglei, tensions remained high following the capture of Lankien in Nyirol County by South Sudan People’s Defence Forces on July 13. A clash in Motot, Uror County, on July 26 reportedly killed several SSPDF soldiers. WFP said insecurity and political tensions along the Akobo-Nyirol-Uror border continued to restrict humanitarian access, prompting the agency to engage government and SPLM/A-IO actors in efforts to restore life-saving assistance.

Following a security and access assessment, WFP said conditions were suitable to resume general food assistance and blanket supplementary feeding activities for targeted beneficiaries in Akobo West, Waat and Lankien. Preparations for the response, including air deliveries, are underway.

WFP also warned that rising acute malnutrition is placing additional pressure on its nutrition programs. During the first half of 2026, the agency distributed 6,000 metric tons of specialized nutritious foods and admitted 222,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women and girls and 341,000 children between 6 and 59 months for treatment of moderate acute malnutrition.

The agency said it faces a potential nutrition pipeline break from October and urgently needs $14 million to procure 2,700 metric tons of specialized nutritious foods and maintain life-saving assistance for vulnerable children and pregnant and breastfeeding women.

School feeding programs reached 689 of 717 planned schools in July, providing meals to 338,602 of 373,843 targeted learners. WFP said the program helped support school enrollment, attendance and retention while improving nutrition and learning outcomes.

Insecurity continued to affect school feeding operations in some areas. Jonglei recorded the lowest beneficiary achievement at 72% and food delivery performance of only 14%, while five schools in Kapoeta under the Juba Field Office remained nonfunctional.

WFP said it had received 75,082 metric tons of food commodities by July 31, representing 90% of its annual distribution requirements. However, insecurity in Upper Nile and Jonglei continued to delay deliveries in parts of Ulang, Nassir, Nyirol and Akobo West counties.

The agency said 77% of January-July food requirements had been delivered to cooperating partners, while food prepositioning stood at 93%. Jonglei lean-season dispatches reached 85% of requirements.

At the same time, rising fuel prices linked to the Middle East crisis have increased WFP’s transportation costs by 30%, adding financial pressure to humanitarian logistics.

The U.N. Humanitarian Air Service deployed an additional aircraft in July to support Ebola virus disease preparedness, including inter-agency cargo, transportation of suspected samples and the rapid deployment of health personnel. UNHAS transported three suspected EVD samples from Yambio to Juba while continuing coordination with the Health Cluster and the World Health Organization.

During the month, UNHAS supported 158 organizations, transported 4,180 passengers and delivered 63 metric tons of relief cargo across South Sudan.

The Logistics Cluster transported another 331 metric tons of humanitarian cargo to hard-to-reach areas in Jonglei, Upper Nile and Unity states, mainly by river, with additional deliveries by air and road. The shipments supported humanitarian activities in water and sanitation, health, shelter, food security, nutrition and protection.

WFP is also expanding measures aimed at strengthening communities’ resilience to climate shocks. In July, the agency, the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development’s Climate Prediction and Applications Centre trained 50 extension service officials on the HUSIKA platform to improve climate-risk monitoring, early-warning analysis and evidence-based planning.

The platform is being rolled out in Kapoeta North and Budi to provide real-time climate-risk information and support early action ahead of drought and other climate-related shocks.

WFP also provided $183,880 through cash-based transfers linked to climate-resilient assets. Under its Social Safety Nets program, 17,730 people received $120,070 through physical cash distributions and mobile-money transfers. An additional 1,000 households were enrolled in mobile-money assistance in July, bringing total coverage to more than 6,000 households.

The agency said limited network coverage and liquidity shortages remain challenges to expanding digital payments.

In Eastern Equatoria, WFP activated anticipatory action ahead of predicted severe drought conditions, targeting Kapoeta North and Budi counties. The initiative is intended to strengthen household purchasing power before a crisis escalates, allowing families to obtain food and other essential items while reducing reliance on negative coping strategies such as selling assets or reducing food consumption.

WFP said the initiative is being implemented with the South Sudanese government and partners and is aligned with national priorities on disaster-risk reduction and anticipatory action.

The agency also reported progress on infrastructure projects designed to strengthen humanitarian logistics and community resilience. Construction of Malakal Port in Upper Nile State was 32% complete by July, while four rural aggregation centers in Cueibet, Nzara, Aweil North and Aweil South were 20% complete.

WFP said the projects are expected to improve river transport, market access, post-harvest handling, water availability and agricultural production.

Despite the ongoing challenges, WFP said its Gender, Protection and Inclusion unit partnered with Eye Media in July to broadcast life-saving messages in 14 local languages across Eastern Equatoria. The campaign reached an estimated 950,000 people with information on drought, hunger, education, gender-based violence and protection risks.

WFP said continued funding is essential to prevent interruptions to food and nutrition assistance at a time when insecurity, displacement, malnutrition and climate-related shocks are increasing humanitarian needs across South Sudan.

The agency’s six-month funding requirement for its 2023-2026 Country Strategic Plan currently has a $280 million shortfall.