Attachments
Nutrition Situation of Children under five, pregnant, and breast-feeding women in South Sudan:
Malnutrition among South Sudanese children under five, as well as pregnant and breastfeeding women, remains a critical public health concern. The Food Security and Nutrition Monitoring Survey (FSNMS) conducted in October 2024, along with other SMART surveys from 2024, indicate that 2.08 million children under five are at risk of acute malnutrition (both moderate and severe wasting) in 2025, a 26 per cent increase from 2024. Additionally, 1.1 million pregnant and breastfeeding women are expected to suffer from acute malnutrition.
The surveys project that for 2025, 650,000 children under five are at risk of Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) and 1.4 million are at risk of Moderate Acute Malnutrition (MAM) reflecting a 33 per cent rise in SAM and a 22 per cent rise in MAM cases compared to 2024. The malnutrition situation has worsened in 48 of South Sudan’s 80 counties, particularly in Central and Eastern Equatoria, Jonglei, Lakes, Unity, Upper Nile, and Northern and Western Bahr El Ghazal States.
Nearly 70 per cent of children under five live in counties classified as IPC-AMN Phase 31 or higher, with 53 per cent in Phase 4 counties. Of the 2.08 million children at risk of acute malnutrition, just over half - about 1.21 million – reside in IPC-AFI Phase 3 or higher areas. These children are at a greater risk of mortality if not prioritized for prevention and treatment services for acute malnutrition.
By September 2024, acute malnutrition admissions exceeded those during the same period in 2023 by at least 14 per cent (uncomplicated SAM by 13 per cent and SAM with medical complications by 30 per cent) Severe acute malnutrition admissions have reached their highest levels since 2019. Admissions for SAM and MAM surpassed planned annual targets in 30 counties across nine states, including Central, Eastern, and Western Equatoria, Jonglei, Lakes, Unity, Upper Nile, and Northern and Western Bahr El Ghazal.