Early food insecurity From the establishment of South Sudan as a state in 2011, the
IPC classified food insecurity in the country at stressed levels, corresponding to phase 2, with an estimated 24.5% of the population experiencing pressure on their food security.
Famine reportedly led to deaths in
Bentiu and
Latjoor states in mid-2011, though the state governments of both denied hunger there was severe enough to cause fatalities. In April 2012, food insecurity was slightly below the seasonal average, although conditions varied by area. Populations living along the border with
Sudan, about 10% of the population, were assessed to be in phase 4, "emergency". Food insecurity at the time was driven by unfavorable terms of trade for livestock holders, increased reliance on markets during the lean season, conflict related displacement along the border, high food prices linked to the devaluation of the
South Sudanese pound, border closures with Sudan, persistent insecurity from cattle raiding, and the arrival of refugees and returnees from Sudan. In November that same year, the food situation was improved compared to a year ago, largely due to better rainfall and a good harvest. This positive trend continued in July 2013. Still, more than 1.6 million South Sudanese were in phase 3, "crisis" or above. The following year, however, saw a substantial deterioration compared with the previous year. More than 3.5 million people, about 30% of the population, were classified in crisis or emergency food insecurity, (IPC phases 3 and 4). Food insecurity conditions during this period varied considerably across the country, with the three most conflict affected states,
Upper Nile,
Jonglei, and
Unity, experiencing significantly more severe conditions than the other seven states of South Sudan. Food security showed seasonal improvement in mid-2014, particularly in areas not affected by conflict, due to normal rainfall, good crop performance, and the start of the green harvest. However, displacement in
Greater Upper Nile limited planting and reduced cereal production. Despite gains since mid 2014, food insecurity remained well above normal for a harvest period, with about 1.5 million people projected to remain in crisis or emergency, many relying on coping strategies such as kinship support and asset depletion.
Deteriorating food insecurity In June 2015, the
Famine Early Warning Systems Network observed a spike in
food prices and an increase in the number of households likely to face catastrophic famine, driven by currency depreciation and reduced import capacity. In September 2015, reports from
Leer County, the home of rebel leader
Riek Machar, described widespread destruction of farms and cattle, large scale displacement, millions experiencing hunger and illnesss. They also noted reliance on food drops in inaccessible areas and deaths from malnutrition in the overcrowded
UN camp in Bentiu. Less rain during the rainy season contributed in part by lowering crop yields and in part by reducing the length of a traditional pause in fighting for the rainy season. By September 2015, an estimated 3.9 million people, about one third of the population, were severely food insecure. Conditions had worsened sharply compared with the previous year, with particular concern for around 30,000 people in Unity State experiencing catastrophe and at risk of famine. The lasting impact of conflict, high food prices, erratic rainfall, weakened livelihood systems, and restricted humanitarian access continued to strain food security across much of the country, including areas previously considered relatively stable. Food insecurity expanded for the first time into the Greater
Equatoria region, driven by market disruption, economic decline, insecurity, and area specific crop losses. The economic decline pushed food prices to exceptionally high levels, which sharply reduced household purchasing power. Ongoing conflict continued to disrupt livelihoods through displacement. The UN concluded that the pattern of abuses by the South Sudan Army, including confiscating cattle and other possessions, "suggests a deliberate strategy to deprive the civilians living in the area of any form of livelihood or material support." Displaced populations, returnees, and low income households with limited assets and purchasing power were among the most affected, including significant numbers of food insecure urban residents. This had severe consequences for children. Nationally, only 6% of children aged 6 to 23 months received a minimum acceptable diet, and just 16% of infants aged 6 to 8 months were introduced to complementary foods on time. These inadequate feeding practices undermined healthy growth and development, while 42% of children under five experienced at least one common childhood illness, further worsening nutritional outcomes. In January 2017, food security conditions in South Sudan continued to worsen.
Famine On 20 February 2017, the
United Nations declared a
famine in
Unity and Northern
Bahr el Ghazal States of South Sudan and warned that it could spread rapidly without further action. A formal declaration of famine indicates that deaths from hunger had already begun to occur. Assessments indicated that 67% of the population, or about 4.9 million people, urgently required food, agriculture, and nutrition assistance, An
Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analysis covering 23 counties found that 14 recorded
global acute malnutrition levels of at least 15%. Global acute malnutrition levels above 30% were reported in
Leer and
Panyijar, while
Mayendit recorded a rate of 27.3%. A similarly deteriorating nutrition situation, atypical for the post harvest season, was observed in the Greater
Equatoria region, particularly in Greater Central Equatoria. The famine disproportionately affected
internally displaced persons and host communities that were already impacted by the ongoing conflict. More than one million children were estimated to be acutely malnourished across the country, with over a quarter of a million already suffering from severe acute malnutrition. The expansion of humanitarian assistance played a key role in containing the famine. By June 2017, the food crisis had subsided and the UN considered the famine to be over, while still pointing out that 1.7 million people were facing the level of food insecurity just below famine.
Continued food insecurity after the famine Food insecurity did not stop once the famine was declared over in June 2017. By September 2017, acute malnutrition had worsened compared with the previous year, with several counties recording extremely critical levels. In January 2018, 5.3 million people, nearly half the population, were in Crisis or Emergency levels of food insecurity, a roughly 40% increase compared with the previous year. The deterioration was mainly driven by long running conflict and displacement, which reduced crop production, disrupted livelihoods, and coincided with continued macroeconomic decline. Livelihoods were further weakened by extreme weather events, including prolonged dry spells and flooding, as well as crop damaging
pest outbreaks such as
fall armyworm. By mid-2018, violence during the lean season pushed 6.1 million people, nearly two thirds of the population, into severe food insecurity, including 1.7 million at immediate risk of famine. However, by September 2018, conditions showed modest improvement, and no county exceeded the extreme critical malnutrition threshold of 30%. In January 2019, more than 6 million people experienced acute food insecurity, including around 30,000 people in IPC Phase 5, Catastrophe. Conditions were driven by conflict, displacement, economic crisis, erratic rainfall resulting in poor harvests, which undermined livelihoods and limited food availability. By August 2019, the number of people in acute food insecurity had risen to 6.35 million, although in January 2020, the share of the population facing acute food insecurity was about 9% lower than at the same time the previous year.
Acute malnutrition among children under five increased markedly between 2018 and 2019, rising from 13% to 16%, which exceeded the emergency threshold of 15%. Poor diet quality, flooding, reduced access to safe drinking water, and outbreaks such as
malaria and
measles contributed to the deterioration. Extensive humanitarian operations across large parts of the country played a decisive role in averting an even worse crisis. Still, despite substantial humanitarian efforts, assistance has not kept pace with sustained high levels of need. In the period around 2017 and 2018, the shortfall between required support and aid delivered widened as humanitarian needs grew faster than the expansion of assistance. No IPC report was issued during 2021. By early 2022, the number affected had risen to 6.83 million, and by autumn 2022, it had declined to 6.6 million people. One year later, the number of people facing acute food insecurity had further declined to 5.83 million. However, during the autumn of 2024, conditions related to acute food insecurity and malnutrition in South Sudan worsened again. Economic decline, recurrent weather extremes, particularly extensive flooding, together with ongoing conflict and insecurity all contributed to the deterioration. Additional strain was placed on the country by the arrival of returnees and refugees fleeing the
war in Sudan. About 6.3 million people were assessed to be experiencing acute food insecurity. Within this group, approximately 41,000 people were classified as IPC Phase 5 Catastrophe, including populations in
Malakal County and tens of thousands of South Sudanese returnees who had fled the conflict in Sudan. In autumn 2025, acute food insecurity and malnutrition in South Sudan remained at extremely high levels. Conditions were driven mainly by localized conflict and widening insecurity that displaced large populations, alongside widespread flooding that disrupted livelihoods and agricultural production. During this period, an estimated 5.97 million people were facing high levels of acute food insecurity. ==Effects==