Sudanese refugees face food aid cuts in South Sudan

More than 650,000 refugees and asylum seekers in South Sudan face potential reductions in food assistance due to humanitarian funding cuts. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the World Food Programme (WFP) warned that these cuts threaten families fleeing the conflict in Sudan.

Approximately 3,000 refugees and returnees enter South Sudan every week seeking food, shelter, and security. Many arrive exhausted and without resources. This reduction in support coincides with the peak of the rainy season, complicating aid delivery. To cope with rising food costs, displaced families are reportedly reducing their number of meals and cutting spending on health, education, and shelter.

South Sudan has maintained an open-door policy, hosting over 1.4 million people since the start of the war in Sudan in 2023. However, the host nation is simultaneously facing one of the world's worst food insecurity emergencies, with over 7.8 million people—more than half the population—experiencing acute food insecurity. Without urgent funding, vital nutritional assistance for the 240,000 most vulnerable refugees may cease as early as September.