Flooding cuts South Sudan aid routes as hunger crisis deepens

Heavy seasonal rains and flooding have disrupted key humanitarian supply routes across South Sudan, forcing aid agencies to reduce cargo loads on damaged roads and raising concerns over access to communities facing severe food shortages.

The World Food Programme’s Logistics Cluster said several major overland routes are either flooded, covered in deep mud or completely impassable, disrupting the movement of food, medicine and other humanitarian supplies.

The disruption comes as an estimated 7.8 million people — more than half of South Sudan’s population — face acute food insecurity, according to humanitarian agencies.

The United Nations and its partners have also warned that 73,300 people are facing catastrophic levels of hunger, classified as IPC Phase 5, while about 2.5 million people are experiencing emergency-level food insecurity, or IPC Phase 4.

The worsening humanitarian situation is being compounded by economic pressures, funding shortages and the continued arrival of refugees fleeing the conflict in neighboring Sudan.

WFP faces a $258 million funding shortfall for its general assistance operations through the end of the year, including a $37 million gap for its refugee response.

Despite widespread flooding, several major corridors remain open to heavy trucks carrying up to 40 metric tons of cargo.

The Juba-Nimule highway, a major commercial and humanitarian supply route linking South Sudan with Uganda, remains passable. Routes connecting Juba with Torit, Mangalla, Terakeka and Mundri are also operating at full capacity.

Other northern and western routes, including Wau-Aweil, Wau-Kuajok and Kuajok-Gogrial, remain open to heavy freight. The Renk-Paloich-Melut corridor also remains passable for vehicles carrying up to 40 metric tons.

However, several secondary roads have been downgraded to a 20-metric-ton limit because of flooding, mud and damage to road surfaces.

The Juba-Yei route through Lainya, as well as routes around Narus and Nadapal, are among those operating under restrictions.

In Unity State, roads around Bentiu, Mayom and Pariang have deteriorated significantly, slowing supply convoys and complicating the pre-positioning of humanitarian supplies.

Several deep-field routes are now completely closed.

The Akoka-Malakal and Malakal-Baliet routes, as well as the Paloich-Akoka and Paloich-Adar corridors, are reported to be impassable. Roads linking Duk Padiet with Ayod, Pathai with Waat and Motot with Lankein are also closed.

In Northern Bahr el Ghazal and Western Bahr el Ghazal, the Aweil-Raga and Deim Zubeir-Raja routes have been cut off. In Eastern Equatoria, the Hiyala-Ikotos road is also impassable.

The closures are particularly concerning for humanitarian agencies because many isolated communities depend almost entirely on road transport for regular food and other relief supplies.

When roads become unusable, aid organizations are forced to consider air transport, which is significantly more expensive than moving supplies by road and can sharply increase the cost of humanitarian operations.

The worsening access situation also comes as humanitarian organizations face major funding constraints, limiting their ability to compensate for rising transportation costs.

The Logistics Cluster said its road-access assessment focuses on physical infrastructure and weather-related disruptions. It does not account for security incidents, localized conflict, checkpoints or administrative restrictions that can further delay humanitarian movements.

With the rainy season continuing, humanitarian agencies expect road conditions to remain highly volatile, potentially worsening access to communities already facing extreme levels of hunger.

The Logistics Cluster provides updated information on humanitarian access and road conditions across South Sudan to help agencies plan the movement of relief supplies.