South Sudan's Food Security Crisis Worsens Amid Conflict and Drought

South Sudan is expected to remain one of the world's top food insecure countries through January 2027 due to ongoing conflict and El Niño-driven drought. The situation is exacerbated by seasonal floods, deteriorating economic conditions, and erosion of purchasing power. Emergency food assistance is being provided in 23 counties, but the severity of the crisis is expected to worsen in the coming months. The main harvests in October and November may provide some relief, but the lean season food assistance ends in September, leaving many vulnerable populations without support. A severe nutrition crisis persists, with critical to extremely critical levels of malnutrition reported in multiple parts of the country. The risk of famine remains high, particularly in areas affected by conflict and drought.