South Sudan Faces Escalating Humanitarian Crisis as Food Stocks Dwindle and Refugee Influx Continues

South Sudan's humanitarian emergency is intensifying at an alarming pace, with more than one million vulnerable people potentially losing access to life-saving food and nutrition assistance by October, according to warnings from the World Food Programme. The crisis is being driven by a combination of shrinking international funding, the ongoing war in neighboring Sudan, and the steady stream of refugees and returnees crossing the border in search of safety.

The scale of the problem is perhaps most starkly illustrated in Malakal, a key logistics hub in Upper Nile state, where food stocks have plummeted dramatically over the past year. Warehouses that held 10,000 metric tonnes of food supplies at this time last year now contain less than 300 tonnes—a reduction of more than 97 percent. This precipitous decline comes as humanitarian agencies confront a perfect storm of dwindling resources and escalating needs.

Every week, approximately 3,000 refugees and returnees make their way into South Sudan from Sudan, many arriving hungry, exhausted, and with virtually no financial resources. These new arrivals are entering a country that was already struggling to meet the needs of its existing population, creating enormous pressure on an already fragile humanitarian infrastructure.

Matthew Hollingworth, assistant executive director of the World Food Programme, recently visited Renk and Malakal in Upper Nile state, as well as Pigi county in Jonglei state, to assess the situation firsthand. He witnessed communities grappling with the compounded effects of conflict, displacement, hunger, and climate shocks—challenges that have been exacerbated by external pressures.

Hollingworth explained that the conflict in Sudan has had devastating consequences for northern South Sudan, particularly through its economic impact. The war has caused prices to soar as the complexity of importing goods through Sudan has increased substantially. This economic strain is being felt across communities that were already stretched thin by the refugee influx.

The humanitarian situation in Renk, located in Upper Nile state near the Sudanese border, has become particularly acute. The town has emerged as a major entry point for people fleeing the war that erupted in Sudan in April 2023. Since that conflict began, more than 1.4 million refugees and returnees have crossed into South Sudan, according to World Food Programme figures.

Many of these arrivals have endured harrowing journeys marked by checkpoints, extortion, and violence. They arrive with little understanding of what awaits them and few resources to rebuild their lives. The transit centers in Renk, which were never designed to accommodate the sheer volume of people now passing through them, have become overcrowded, with families waiting for onward transport to Malakal or other parts of South Sudan—some remaining for months.

Zainab Musa, a mother of six currently staying at a transit center in Renk, described the dire conditions. She recently crossed from Sudan and spoke of the difficulty of finding adequate food. Musa indicated she planned to travel to her grandfather in Bunj, located in Maban county in Upper Nile state, in hopes of finding better circumstances.

The World Food Programme has been forced to implement painful reductions in rations and cut support as funding has dried up. In August, the WFP and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees jointly warned that more than 650,000 refugees and asylum seekers were at risk of losing food assistance entirely. They further cautioned that food and nutrition assistance for the most vulnerable 240,000 refugees was expected to run out by September without additional funding—a prediction that appears to be materializing.

The situation in Malakal reflects the broader challenges facing displaced communities throughout South Sudan. The former Protection of Civilians site, which was redesignated as an internally displaced people's settlement earlier this year, currently hosts nearly 40,000 displaced people across more than 6,000 households. Many of these individuals have been displaced for years, with little prospect of returning to their homes.

Basic services in Malakal are also under severe strain. The International Organization for Migration has issued warnings that water, sanitation, and hygiene services in both Bentiu and Malakal are at risk due to funding shortfalls. Without adequate drainage pumping and dyke maintenance, Malakal faces an elevated risk of flooding during the rainy season—adding yet another layer of vulnerability to an already desperate situation.

Hollingworth noted that his visit to Renk revealed the dual climate challenges facing the region, with areas experiencing both drought and flooding simultaneously. These environmental pressures compound the existing challenges of conflict and displacement, making it even more difficult for communities to achieve any measure of stability or self-sufficiency.

The WFP official also highlighted the need for the South Sudanese government to address the issue of illegal checkpoints that prevent humanitarian agencies from reaching vulnerable populations across the country. These obstacles to access further complicate efforts to deliver life-saving assistance to those who need it most.

Peter Maker, a displaced person in Pigi, spoke to Al Jazeera about the difficulties facing his community. He explained that insecurity and the arrival of people displaced from other areas had made it extremely difficult to farm or find work. Despite being able-bodied and qualified for employment, Maker said insecurity prevents him from traveling for opportunities or farming safely outside the settlement, leaving residents heavily reliant on the United Nations and humanitarian aid.

Maker emphasized that longer-term solutions are desperately needed and warned that further cuts or blockages to assistance would prove devastating for already vulnerable communities. He attributed much of the local suffering to political leadership failures and divisions between communities, while noting that people currently survive through resource-sharing, faith, and the occasional arrival of aid.

Nura Mohammed Ahmed, a Sudanese refugee, confirmed that hunger and inadequate nutrition were already exacting a heavy toll at the transit center in Renk. The combined effect of reduced rations, limited funding, and growing numbers of arrivals has created a situation where even basic sustenance is increasingly difficult to secure.

The crisis in South Sudan represents a confluence of multiple factors: the spillover effects of the Sudanese civil war, chronic underfunding of humanitarian operations, climate variability, and governance challenges. As international attention and resources continue to be stretched across numerous global crises, South Sudan risks becoming a forgotten emergency where millions face the prospect of starvation and disease.

The coming months will prove critical. Without significant additional funding and improved humanitarian access, the World Food Programme and its partners will be unable to prevent a further deterioration in an already catastrophic situation. For the thousands who continue to cross the border each week, and for the millions of South Sudanese already displaced within their own country, the international community's response in the weeks ahead may determine whether they survive the year.