Three United Nations agencies have issued an urgent warning about imminent famine in South Sudan’s Upper Nile state, where conflict and food shortages have pushed 32,000 people into catastrophic hunger conditions three times more than previously estimated.

The World Food Programme (WFP), UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) report that 11 out of 13 counties in Upper Nile are facing emergency levels of hunger.

The region has been devastated by ongoing clashes between government forces and armed militias, which have destroyed homes, disrupted livelihoods, and blocked humanitarian aid deliveries.

While some areas of South Sudan have seen slight improvements in food security, 57% of the country’s population—approximately 7.7 million people—face acute food shortages.

The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) defines famine as occurring when:

• 20% of households suffer extreme food shortages.
• 30% of children experience acute malnutrition.
• Two adults or four children per 10,000 people die daily from hunger-related causes.

Mary-Ellen McGroarty, WFP’s representative in South Sudan, emphasized the devastating impact of conflict on food security, stating that long-term peace is essential, but urgent humanitarian access is needed to prevent famine.

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