Attachments
HIGHLIGHTS
- As of October 31, over 854,824 individuals, including 429,760 children, crossed border points into South Sudan fleeing the conflict in Sudan.
- By late October, over 1.4 million people in 42 counties were affected by floods. Some of the worst affected states include Jonglei and Northern Bahr el Ghazal.
- On October 28, the Ministry of Health declared a cholera outbreak in Renk, Upper Nile State. This declaration comes after 49 cholera cases were reported amongst refugees, returnees, and host communities.
- The Humanitarian Action for Children (HAC) remains underfunded at 71 per cent, limiting the ability of UNICEF to reach individuals with life-saving assistance.
SITUATION OVERVIEW AND HUMANITARIAN NEEDS
On 28 October, the Ministry of Health officially declared a cholera outbreak in Renk county, Upper Nile State. Between the start of the suspected outbreak on 28 September and the end of October 2024, 52 suspected cholera cases had been reported in Upper Nile State, six of which were confirmed to be Vibrio cholerae O1 using culture by the National Public Health Laboratory in Juba.
The cholera outbreak arises amidst ongoing crises. South Sudan continues to be affected by extreme rainfall, prolonged flooding, influx of refugees and returnees from Sudan, among other challenges. In October alone, 32,160 individuals, including 16,378 women and girls and 15,714 children, crossed the border into South Sudan. Of these, 78 per cent were returnees, while 22 per cent were refugees. The influx of people in October brings the total number of individuals who have entered South Sudan since the conflict began in April 2023 to 854,824. The majority of these individuals continue to arrive in urgent need of aid, adding pressure to the country’s humanitarian challenges. Most settle in under-resourced areas, straining local economies and services. Integration is further hindered, particularly in communities already grappling with food insecurity exacerbated by climatic disasters like floods, inter-communal violence and economic crisis.
As of 31 October 2024, extensive flooding in South Sudan has displaced over 377,000 people across 21 counties and the Abyei Administrative Area. Overall, more than 1.4 million people have been affected by floods. Flooding incidents have severely impacted communities, with higher ground in areas like Mayom, Panyijiar, and Koch counties in Unity State becoming overcrowded, leading to tensions and conflicts among displaced populations and further threatening the security and stability of children and vulnerable populations. 58 health facilities and 522 schools are reportedly submerged in flood-affected areas, significantly hindering access to these services in impacted areas. Approximately 184,178 students are thought to be impacted by the flooding.
Findings from the IPC suggest that between September and November 2024, around 6.3 million people—47 per cent of the analyzed population—are experiencing IPC Phase 3 or higher levels of food insecurity, indicating a crisis or worse. This includes 1.71 million people in IPC Phase 4 (Emergency) and an alarming 41,000 individuals in IPC Phase 5 (Catastrophe). Among those in IPC Phase 5 are 10,000 people in Malakal County (Upper Nile State) and approximately 31,000 South Sudanese returnees who fled Sudan due to ongoing conflict. This marks a worrying increase of about 500,000 people in Phase 3 or above compared to the same period last year. Worsened by ongoing flooding, climatic shocks, and other challenges, smallholder farmers struggle to produce enough food, while the country’s heavy dependence on imports leaves many unable to afford basic necessities. As a result, millions rely on humanitarian aid for survival, highlighting the urgent need for sustained support and resilience-building efforts.
Humanitarian access constraints continued to impede humanitarian operations throughout October. 39 access incidents were recorded this month—these incidents include ambushes, robbery, violent incidents, looting, operational interference and more. 28 per cent of these incidents occurred in Upper Nile state and 21 per cent occurred in Eastern Equatoria state. Throughout the country, these security incidences force partners to suspend or slow down the delivery of critical humanitarian aid.
During this same period, UNICEF's AIMS platform recorded nine incidents that impacted UNICEF-supported activities, which is an increase of 80 per cent compared to the previous month. General incidents that affected the operational context included changes in government, road insecurity, inter-communal violence and revenge killings. Specific cases of October incidents included a case of police harassment involving the HSTP implementing partner (IP) in Maban, Upper Nile State, related to health incentive issues. Additionally, inter-communal violence in Tonj East, Warrap State, was reportedly driven by revenge attacks.
Households in South Sudan are struggling more than ever to afford basic needs due to low job opportunities, worsening economic conditions, and rising prices. Many cannot earn steady incomes, while food and other essentials remain unusually expensive. A survey by WFP and FAO shows that over two-thirds of households can’t cover their basic expenses, and most are spending more than 75 per cent of their income on food. With staple foods priced out of reach, many families face ongoing food shortages and poor diets.
South Sudan faced ongoing public health challenges, tackling active disease outbreaks and closely monitoring health events. Malaria remained the leading cause of morbidity while Mpox remained a public health concern but with no reported positive cases in the country. A measles outbreak has persisted across South Sudan, with a notable surge in reported cases in Tonj East County, Warrap State. The situation is raising growing concerns among health authorities, as the spread of the disease continues to threaten vulnerable populations, particularly children who face increased risks due to limited access to healthcare and immunization services in the affected regions. The health crisis was further worsened by widespread flooding, which disrupted livelihoods and heightened the risk of disease outbreaks.