Conflict and flooding fuels food crisis with 30% more children to face malnutrition – Africa.com
The number of children facing severe malnutrition in South Sudan could increase by nearly 30% by mid-2025, Save the Children says, as recurring climate shocks, conflict and the spillover effects of Sudan’s war exacerbate a worsening hunger crisis. International funds expand the scale of assistance.
new characters Published by the internationally recognized Integrated Phase Classification (IPC) of famine early warning systems It is estimated that by June next year, 2.1 million children under the age of 5 will be severely malnourished, an increase of 27% from 1.65 million.
This includes more than 650,000 children expected to face the most deadly form of malnutrition – severe acute malnutrition – a 30% increase from 480,000 children.
Overall, the IPC report shows that hunger is worsening in South Sudan, with nearly half of the population, or 6.3 million people, currently facing severe food shortages, compared with 5.8 million people at this time last year.
They include 41,000 people facing catastrophic food insecurity, including three-quarters of South Sudanese returnees fleeing war in neighboring Sudan that broke out last April. Without urgent intervention, this number is expected to increase by more than 50% between April and July 2025.
As a result of current widespread flooding and ongoing conflict, the number of people facing severe food shortages is expected to increase to 7.7 million by next July.
As world leaders meet at the COP29 summit in Azerbaijan, Save the Children is calling for urgent action to halt the devastating impact of the climate crisis on the world’s youngest nation, including currently widespread flooding.
Farmari BarrowInterim Country Director of Save the Children South Sudan said:
“Large swathes of South Sudan are currently under water as heavy downpours cause massive flooding, displacing families and children. Earlier this year, millions of schoolchildren were threatened by sweltering temperatures reaching 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit). Schools are closed across the country, and now those same children are suffering from devastating floods, with no end in sight for climate shocks.
“Save the Children is calling for urgent action to stop the impact of a series of devastating extreme weather events on children’s lives. There needs to be one more Urgent infusion of international funding and expanded humanitarian assistance to address key drivers of acute malnutrition, including improving the quality of children’s diets, improving access to safe drinking water and sanitation services, and preventing and treating childhood diseases. “
Save the Children has been working in South Sudan since 1991, when it was still part of Sudan. The children’s rights organization provides education, health care and nutritional support to children, as well as food security and livelihood assistance to families. In 2023, the organization’s programs reached more than 1.9 million people, including 1.1 million children.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Save the Children.
