JUBA – South Sudan continues to struggle with a severe humanitarian emergency as it enters the 2026 lean season. According to the latest Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan, over 10 million people—roughly two-thirds of the population—require assistance due to intersecting crises of conflict, climate shocks, and a struggling economy.
Consecutive years of flash floods and riverine flooding have displaced hundreds of thousands, particularly in the Greater Upper Nile and Jonglei States.
Aid agencies report that women and girls are being forced to eat wild plants to survive as food insecurity reaches critical levels.
The situation is further complicated by the ongoing conflict in neighboring Sudan, which has forced a massive influx of refugees and returnees into South Sudan’s northern states.
The government in Juba is struggling to maintain essential services as oil revenues—the nation’s primary income source—remain volatile due to infrastructure damage in the war-torn north.
