South Sudan’s aid crisis deepens as food stocks run low

What does it mean for South Sudan’s food stocks to be running low?

Running low means humanitarian agencies no longer have enough stored food to maintain current assistance. This matters because many people in South Sudan cannot safely farm, work or reach markets. They depend on food distributions for survival and nutrition.

Malakal shows the scale of the problem. WFP stocks there fell from 10,000 metric tonnes at this time last year to less than 300 tonnes now. The key mechanism is a widening gap between rising needs and shrinking funding. New arrivals from Sudan add demand while conflict and insecurity make local food production and transport harder.

The situation is urgent. WFP says more than one million vulnerable people could lose food and nutrition assistance by October without new resources. Reduced stocks can mean smaller rations, fewer distributions and greater hunger. Continued arrivals, drought, flooding and access problems could make the shortage even harder to manage.

How sharply have food supplies in Malakal fallen, and how many people could lose assistance?

The fall is extraordinarily sharp. Malakal held 10,000 metric tonnes of food at this time last year, but now has less than 300 tonnes. That is a reduction of more than 97 percent. Malakal is a major logistics hub, so the shortage can affect deliveries beyond the town itself.

At the same time, WFP warns that more than one million vulnerable people could lose life-saving food and nutrition support by October. The pressure comes from two directions. Humanitarian funding is shrinking, while needs are increasing because of conflict, displacement, hunger, climate shocks and arrivals from Sudan.

This does not mean every person will lose aid simultaneously. It means available resources may not cover everyone who needs help. Agencies may be forced to reduce rations or cut support further. Without additional funding, the supply gap could deepen as more people cross the border.

What could happen to vulnerable people if food and nutrition assistance runs out by October?

If food and nutrition assistance runs out, vulnerable people may face severe hunger and worsening malnutrition. Aid is often their main dependable source of food when conflict, displacement or insecurity prevents farming and work. Children, newly arrived families and people already weakened by hunger are especially exposed.

The article describes this dependence clearly. Refugees and returnees arrive in Renk hungry, exhausted and nearly penniless. In transit centres, people report that there is little food and inadequate nutrition. WFP has already reduced rations and cut support as funding has dried up. The mechanism is simple: fewer resources mean smaller or less frequent distributions.

The crisis could spread beyond individual families. People may be forced to share scarce resources, leave transit centres without support or take unsafe routes to find food and work. WFP says more than one million vulnerable people could lose assistance by October. New funding and reliable access are needed to prevent further deterioration.

Why are more refugees and returnees arriving in South Sudan from Sudan?

People are arriving because war in Sudan has made their homes unsafe and livelihoods harder to sustain. Many flee violence and insecurity, while others face hunger, poverty and the breakdown of basic services. South Sudan is a nearby route for people seeking safety, relatives or humanitarian help.

The article says the war erupted in April 2023 and that more than 1.4 million refugees and returnees have crossed into South Sudan since then. Their journeys may involve checkpoints, extortion and violence. Many reach Renk with little money and no clear plan. Transit centres then hold families waiting for transport to Malakal or other locations.

Arrivals continue at roughly 3,000 people each week. This creates sustained pressure on food stocks, shelters and transport. The centres were not designed for these numbers, and some families remain for months. As fighting continues and conditions remain uncertain, South Sudan’s already limited aid system faces growing demand.

How has the war in Sudan made it harder and more expensive to provide aid in South Sudan?

Sudan’s war has damaged the systems South Sudan relies on for trade, transport and aid delivery. When routes become dangerous or disrupted, importing food and supplies from Sudan becomes more complicated. Higher transport and import costs then raise prices, making each aid dollar buy less.

WFP assistant executive director Matthew Hollingworth said prices rose because of the complexity of importing goods from Sudan. The war also drove more than 1.4 million refugees and returnees into South Sudan. These new arrivals need food, shelter, transport and health support. The key mechanism is pressure on both supply and demand: supplies cost more while the number of people needing them increases.

This is especially difficult in northern South Sudan, where communities already face conflict, displacement and climate shocks. Funding is also lower than before. Unless resources increase and access improves, agencies may continue reducing rations and leaving more vulnerable people without assistance.

What other ways could displaced people obtain food or support if international aid is reduced?

If international aid falls, displaced people may rely more on family networks, community sharing, farming, casual work, local markets and government services. Relatives may provide food or a place to stay. Communities can pool scarce supplies. These are possible support routes, but they are not guaranteed or sufficient.

The article gives one example from Pigi. Peter Maker said people survive by sharing resources, relying on God and receiving occasional aid. He is able-bodied and qualified to work, yet insecurity prevents him from travelling for jobs or farming safely. Lack of access to farmland removes one of the most important ways families could produce food.

Displaced families may also seek help from relatives, as Zainab Musa planned to do in Bunj. Still, movement can be difficult, and transit centres may hold people for months. These alternatives can reduce hardship, but they cannot replace large-scale food and nutrition assistance when insecurity, poverty and displacement affect entire communities.

Why do conflicts, displacement, climate shocks and funding cuts make humanitarian crises reinforce one another?

These pressures reinforce one another because they damage both livelihoods and emergency response. Conflict can force people from their homes and prevent farming or work. Displacement then increases dependence on aid. Climate shocks such as drought and flooding further reduce food production. Funding cuts weaken the assistance people need to recover.

The article shows this cycle in several places. In Pigi, insecurity limits access to farmland and jobs. In Renk, drought exists alongside areas still affected by flooding. Meanwhile, arrivals from Sudan increase demand, while WFP stocks in Malakal fall from 10,000 tonnes to below 300. Each problem makes the others harder to manage.

The result is a widening humanitarian gap. People cannot easily rebuild livelihoods, and agencies have fewer supplies to support them. Reduced aid may increase hunger and force more desperate movement, while continued conflict and climate shocks create fresh needs. The article therefore points to both immediate funding and longer-term security and livelihood solutions.

Key Facts:

📌 Malakal’s food stocks fell below 300 metric tonnes.

📌 Stocks were 10,000 metric tonnes at the same time last year.

📌 More than one million people could lose assistance by October.

📌 Malakal’s stocks dropped from 10,000 tonnes to under 300 tonnes.

📌 The decline exceeds 97 percent.

📌 Over one million people may lose assistance by October.

📌 WFP warns assistance could end for over one million people.