South Sudan refugees and host communities face widespread multidimensional poverty
Credit: UNHCR
Nearly 90% of refugees in South Sudan are living in multidimensional poverty, with poor housing, limited access to electricity, inadequate sanitation, health challenges and barriers to education contributing to widespread deprivation, according to a UNHCR report.
The report, titled Multidimensional Poverty of Refugees and Host Communities in South Sudan, found that 90% of refugees were multidimensionally poor. The rate was 84% among refugees in the south and 91% among refugees in the north.
It also found that 94% of host communities in northern South Sudan were living in multidimensional poverty.
Multidimensional poverty measures deprivation across education, health and living standards rather than income alone.
The report said almost the entire population surveyed was either poor or vulnerable to poverty, including 98% of refugees in the south, 99% of refugees in the north and 100% of host communities in the north.
Severe multidimensional poverty affected 53% of refugees overall. In northern South Sudan, the rate was 53% among refugees, compared with 73% among host communities.
Living conditions accounted for 38% of multidimensional poverty among refugees, followed by health at 33% and education at 29%. Among refugees in the south, living conditions accounted for 41% of deprivation, while education was the largest contributor among northern host communities at 36%.
The report identified inadequate housing as a major challenge, affecting 99% of refugees and host communities surveyed.
Electricity deprivation affected 99% of refugees in the south, 85% of refugees in the north and 94% of northern host communities. Lack of improved sanitation affected 85% of refugees in the south, 93% in the north and 87% of host communities.
Education-related deprivation was also widespread. About 45% of households among refugees in the south had no member aged 15 or older who had completed six years of schooling. The figure rose to 64% among refugees in the north and 52% among northern host communities.
The report also found that 42% of refugee children in the south were not attending school, compared with 65% in the north and 50% among children in host communities.
Nutritional deprivation was another concern. The report said 67% of refugees in the south, 56% in the north and 63% of northern host communities lacked access to vitamin A-rich foods. Deprivation of protein-rich foods affected 47% of refugees in the south, 59% in the north and 51% of host communities.
The report linked poverty with mental health challenges, saying poor refugees in the north had 53% higher odds of experiencing probable mental health problems, while the odds were 16% higher among poor refugees in the south.
UNHCR said poverty was also associated with lower self-efficacy, with poor refugees recording scores about 0.5 points lower than those who were not poor.
The findings are based on South Sudan’s 2023 Forced Displacement Survey, conducted by UNHCR in partnership with the South Sudan National Bureau of Statistics. The survey represented the refugee population as of March 2023 and excluded urban refugees in Juba.
South Sudan hosted 298,362 refugees in March 2023. By the end of April 2026, the refugee population had increased to 628,951, with 94% originating from Sudan.
The report warned that refugees’ reliance on humanitarian assistance could leave them more vulnerable as funding declines. About 75% of refugees in northern South Sudan and 50% in the south said humanitarian aid was among their three main sources of income.
UNHCR recommended moving beyond short-term humanitarian assistance toward inclusive, government-led development programmes. It called for refugees to be integrated into national development planning and for greater investment in education, health care, livelihoods, social cohesion and economic opportunities.
The agency also urged stronger partnerships and evidence-based planning to address poverty among both refugees and host communities.
