South Sudan: Humanitarian Snapshot (January 2024)

In the first month of 2024, evidence-based needs remained high, and people continued to require significant humanitarian assistance in South Sudan. An estimated 9 million people¹ are projected to need humanitarian assistance and protection in 2024. The Sudan conflict continued to trigger the influx of refugees, returnees and asylum-seekers to South Sudan. As of 31 January, 540,949 people² were registered crossing the border from Sudan to South Sudan since April 2023, with most people arriving in remote and hard-to-reach locations that lack essential services. An inter-agency assessment in Leer County, Unity State, found the critical need for food among nearly 96,600 people due to displacement and prolonged flooding in November 2023. Intercommunal violence broke out in different locations, including Warrap, Western Bahr el Ghazal, Western Equatoria, Lakes, Unity and Jonglei states, as well as in Abyei and Pibor administrative areas – killing and displacing people, and affecting humanitarian access and activities. In Unity State, fighting erupted between armed factions in Barkur, Rubkona County, with some 417 people reportedly entering the Bentiu displaced persons camp seeking safety. In Western Equatoria State, an inter-agency rapid needs assessment reported some 11,900 people displaced following attacks by armed young men from Terekeka County in Lakamadi payam, Mundri East County. Fighting between armed elements in different parts of Abyei town killed 52 people, including three off-duty humanitarian staff and some 2,200 people were displaced to the UNISFA Rumajak site. As of 31 January, 48 suspected cases and two laboratory-confirmed cases of yellow fever were reported in Yambio, Nzara, Tambura, Ibba, Ezo and Maridi counties in Western Equatoria State.