More than 650,000 refugees and asylum seekers in South Sudan could lose access to food assistance within weeks as humanitarian agencies struggle with a severe funding shortage, raising fears that some may be forced to return to conflict-hit Sudan in search of help.
The warning was issued by the World Food Programme (WFP) and the UN refugee agency (UNHCR), which said South Sudan is already facing one of the world's worst hunger crises. More than 7.8 million people, representing over half of the country's population, are experiencing acute food insecurity, while 2.2 million children are acutely malnourished.
The situation is being made worse by the continued arrival of refugees and returnees fleeing neighbouring Sudan, with South Sudan receiving about 3,000 people every week.
The arrivals are escaping a conflict that began in Sudan in 2023 and has led to one of the world's largest displacement crises, with the UN reporting mass killings, rape and deliberate starvation.
The humanitarian situation is now putting the food supply for refugees in South Sudan at serious risk.
The last food distributions for the most vulnerable 240,000 refugees are expected to take place in September unless fresh funding is secured urgently. They are among the 650,000 refugees who had previously been receiving food assistance across the country.
The 240,000 are the last remaining refugee families still receiving food support, which has already been reduced to half-rations. WFP said it has been forced to cut back assistance over time because of a lack of funds.
“This is not a future scenario. It is sadly a reality that will hold within weeks,” Adham Effendi, WFP’s deputy country director in South Sudan, told reporters from Juba.
UNHCR Deputy Representative Mesfin Degefu warned that the situation could become even more severe from October.
“If funding does not materialise, no refugees in South Sudan will be receiving food assistance from October,” Degefu said.
The funding crisis is already affecting families who depend on humanitarian support to survive. Degefu said some households are eating fewer meals, selling their belongings, taking on debt and pulling children out of school.
Women and children are also facing increased risks of exploitation and abuse as families struggle to meet their basic needs.
Some refugees have already approached UNHCR seeking assistance to return to Sudan. However, the agency does not consider conditions in Sudan safe enough for refugees to return.
The funding shortage could also affect food assistance for other vulnerable groups in South Sudan.
Effendi said further reductions were expected unless WFP manages to close a $37 million funding gap for refugee operations between October and December.
From October, about 180,000 internally displaced people are expected to lose food assistance. By November, around 600,000 people living in areas at risk of famine could also lose life-saving support.
UNHCR is facing its own major financial shortfall. The agency said it has received only 28% of the $286 million required for its operations this year.
The shortage is not only threatening food assistance but also programmes aimed at helping refugees support themselves.
These include farming, vocational training and other livelihood programmes designed to help refugees become more self-reliant.
The agencies are now warning that without urgent funding, the number of people facing severe hunger and the pressure on already struggling communities could increase further.