Half of South Sudan’s people are now living with acute hunger, and the country is receiving the lowest level of humanitarian assistance ever recorded, according to a new warning issued by Oxfam.
The UK-based humanitarian organisation revealed that only 40 per cent of the US$1.6 billion aid plan for 2025 has been funded, following deep cuts by Western governments to their international aid budgets. With funding shrinking and needs rising, South Sudan—already one of the most fragile nations on earth—is on the edge of a worsening humanitarian catastrophe.
Oxfam reports that nearly six million people are facing severe hunger today, lacking even the most basic access to clean water and sanitation. The situation is expected to deteriorate further, with projections showing that 7.5 million South Sudanese could fall into acute hunger by April.
For many, daily survival is slipping out of reach—not only because of conflict, displacement, and climate pressures, but also due to entrenched corruption, where elites have siphoned off the nation’s oil wealth instead of investing in essential services. This systemic looting, widely documented by the United Nations, has left ordinary citizens with little to depend on but humanitarian aid that is now disappearing.
Shabnam Baloch, Oxfam’s Country Director in South Sudan, expressed the gravity of the situation:
“It feels like the world is turning away from those who need support the most, just as their lives are hanging in the balance.”
South Sudan, which gained independence in 2011, fell into civil war shortly after, displacing more than two million people. Today, its stability remains fragile, with fears of new conflict emerging as peace agreements falter. Adding to the strain, the country is also sheltering hundreds of thousands of refugees fleeing the war in neighbouring Sudan.
In the border town of Renk alone, up to 1,000 refugees arrive every day, overwhelming already stretched transit centres. Yet, Oxfam says it has no choice but to scale down operations by 70 per cent in the coming month due to lack of funds—and may have to shut down completely if additional support is not secured by February.
