More than 650,000 refugees and asylum seekers in South Sudan are at risk of losing access to lifesaving food, nutrition and other humanitarian assistance as aid agencies warn of critical funding shortages.
The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) said on Friday that without urgent funding, food and nutrition assistance for the most vulnerable 240,000 refugees could end as early as September.
The 240,000 people are the last remaining refugees among the 650,000 who had been receiving food assistance across South Sudan.
The agencies warned that an interruption in aid could expose already vulnerable families to worsening hunger, malnutrition and protection risks, particularly women and children.
They also raised concerns that some refugees could be forced to cross borders again in search of food and other basic assistance.
The warning comes as conflict in the region continues to drive displacement, with South Sudan receiving thousands of refugees and returnees from neighbouring Sudan.
According to UNHCR, up to 3,000 refugees and returnees continue to arrive from Sudan each week, placing additional pressure on humanitarian services and resources that are already stretched.
“We are seeing the devastating impact of conflicts that force people from their homes collide with a severe shortage of resources that is now making the crisis worse,” said Adham Effendi, WFP Deputy Country Director in South Sudan.
“For refugees and host communities, food assistance is often the difference between coping and crisis,” he added, calling for urgent support to save lives and livelihoods.
WFP said it currently faces an immediate $37 million funding gap for its refugee response in South Sudan.
The agency also estimates an overall funding shortfall of $258 million for the remainder of 2026, threatening assistance for about 4.2 million food-insecure people across the country.
UNHCR said it has received only 28% of the $286 million it needs this year to maintain protection and assistance programmes for nearly four million refugees, internally displaced people, returnees and vulnerable members of host communities.
The funding crisis is unfolding as South Sudan faces one of the world’s most severe hunger emergencies.
More than 7.8 million people, representing more than half of the country’s population, are experiencing high levels of acute food insecurity, according to WFP.
An estimated 2.2 million children are also acutely malnourished.
With resources declining, WFP said it has already been forced to prioritize assistance for only the most vulnerable refugee families. Those receiving food support are currently getting just 50% of a full food ration.
Humanitarian agencies are particularly concerned about the timing of the potential aid cuts.
The warning comes during the rainy season, when food supplies become more difficult to access, market prices can increase and heavy rains and flooding can make roads difficult or impossible for humanitarian organisations to use.
Many refugee families are already coping by eating fewer or smaller meals, borrowing money to buy food, selling their limited possessions and reducing spending on healthcare, education and shelter.
Mesfin Degefu, UNHCR Deputy Representative in South Sudan, said the situation was becoming increasingly difficult as new arrivals continued to cross the border from Sudan.
“Every week, thousands more refugees and returnees continue to arrive from Sudan with almost nothing, many exhausted, hungry and in urgent need of protection and assistance,” he said.
Mr Degefu also warned that reducing assistance could undermine progress made by refugees who have lived in South Sudan for years and have been working towards greater self-reliance.
He said cuts could force some families into desperate decisions, including undertaking dangerous onward journeys in search of survival.
South Sudan has maintained an open-door policy for refugees despite facing major humanitarian and development challenges of its own.
Since war broke out in Sudan in April 2023, more than 1.4 million refugees and returnees have crossed into South Sudan, according to UNHCR.
The continued influx has increased pressure on food supplies, health services, shelter, water and other essential services in communities hosting displaced populations.
UNHCR and WFP are now appealing to the international community for immediate and flexible funding to prevent the suspension of lifesaving assistance.
The agencies warned that without additional resources, thousands of vulnerable families could face worsening hunger and protection risks at a time when humanitarian needs across South Sudan are already at critical levels.
