South Sudan humanitarian crisis deepens as conflict, climate shocks and cholera converge

Credit: UN News

South Sudan is facing a deepening humanitarian crisis as extreme weather, escalating intercommunal violence and a prolonged cholera outbreak combine to leave an estimated 10 million people in need of humanitarian assistance.

United Nations and humanitarian agency data from August 2026 show that nearly 85% of the country’s population requires emergency aid, as climate shocks and conflict disrupt food production, destroy livelihoods and drive widespread displacement.

Below-average rainfall, prolonged dry spells and above-normal temperatures have severely affected the June-to-September planting season, threatening crop production, livestock and water supplies across six states, including Eastern Equatoria, Jonglei and Upper Nile.

In Eastern Equatoria, conditions in Lafon, Budi and Kapoeta counties have deteriorated rapidly, forcing some families to abandon farmland and move to neighboring areas or cross into Kenya and Uganda in search of safety and assistance.

The worsening agricultural conditions are compounding already severe food insecurity. The latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification analysis estimates that 7.8 million people are facing acute food insecurity at Crisis level, or worse.

Acute malnutrition is also rising among vulnerable groups, affecting an estimated 2.2 million children and 1.2 million pregnant or breastfeeding women. Recent SMART nutrition surveys recorded global acute malnutrition rates of 36.2% in Guit County in Unity State and 28.8% in Akoka County in Upper Nile State, both well above emergency thresholds.

At the same time, renewed intercommunal violence is driving further displacement. In Warrap State alone, the Relief and Rehabilitation Commission has reported that more than 87,000 households have been displaced by fighting since July.

The country’s internally displaced population has reached an estimated 2.5 million, including about 445,000 people newly displaced during the first eight months of 2026. South Sudan is also hosting about 654,000 refugees while continuing to receive people fleeing the conflict in neighboring Sudan. More than 1.4 million registered people have crossed into South Sudan from Sudan since the conflict there began.

The prolonged cholera outbreak is adding another major threat to communities already struggling with conflict, displacement and limited access to basic services. Since the outbreak began in September 2024, South Sudan has recorded 111,621 cumulative cases and 1,722 deaths.

In 2026 alone, authorities and health partners have reported 14,822 cholera cases and 128 deaths. More than 1,150 new cases were recorded in August, with transmission concentrated in crisis-affected areas including Unity and Upper Nile states, where access to clean water, sanitation and health services remains severely limited.

Humanitarian partners are deploying joint assessment teams to verify displacement figures, identify the most vulnerable communities and prioritize life-saving assistance. However, aid agencies warn that continued conflict, worsening food insecurity, climate shocks and disease could further overwhelm humanitarian operations.

Without increased humanitarian access, funding and urgent support for food security, health, water and sanitation services, the humanitarian situation could deteriorate further and increase the risk of catastrophic hunger and famine in parts of the country.