The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has commenced emergency food airdrops in South Sudan’s conflict-affected Upper Nile State, delivering critical assistance to tens of thousands of families facing catastrophic food insecurity. According to a statement released by the WFP, the operation marks the first successful access in over four months to the remote counties of Nasir and Ulang, areas which remain inaccessible by road or river due to ongoing violence and seasonal flooding.
Over 40,000 individuals are expected to benefit from this latest intervention, as WFP attempts to avert what it describes as an imminent threat of famine in some of the most isolated parts of the country. “The link between conflict and hunger is tragically clear in South Sudan, and we’ve seen this over the past few months in Upper Nile,” said Mary-Ellen McGroarty, WFP Country Director in South Sudan. “Without a major scale-up in assistance, the counties of Nasir and Ulang risk slipping into full-blown famine.”
Upper Nile and northern Jonglei are among the hardest-hit regions, with humanitarian access significantly constrained by fighting between armed groups and deteriorating infrastructure. WFP aims to reach 470,000 people across these areas during the lean season, a period that stretches through August and is typically the most food-insecure time of the year. However, the agency warns that insecurity and logistical obstacles continue to severely impede the delivery of a comprehensive aid response.
More than one million people in Upper Nile alone are facing acute levels of hunger, with over 32,000 already enduring Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) Level 5 conditions — the most severe category of food insecurity, denoting a risk of widespread death and starvation. Nationally, South Sudan is experiencing an alarming deterioration in food security. The WFP reports that 7.7 million people — equivalent to 57 percent of the population — are currently facing crisis, emergency, or catastrophic levels of hunger.
Compounding the crisis is a global shortfall in humanitarian funding, which has significantly curtailed WFP’s operational capacity. Due to these budgetary constraints, the agency has had to prioritise assistance for the most vulnerable 2.5 million people — only 30 percent of those in acute need — while implementing reduced rations to maximise the reach of its limited resources.
The WFP’s current operations in South Sudan form part of a broader international effort to respond to worsening humanitarian conditions in the region, exacerbated by protracted conflict, climate-induced displacement, and economic instability. With the lean season intensifying and no immediate resolution to the conflict in sight, the situation remains precarious for millions.
