Attachments
HIGHLIGHTS
- In 2024, UNICEF South Sudan provided support to 3,788,500 million people (73 per cent of the 2024 HAC target), of which, 2,545,996 million were children (75 per cent of the target), despite a 65 per cent underfunded HAC. This year, we leveraged, where possible, flexible donor funds to prepare and respond to floods, and the needs of South Sudanese returnees and Sudan refugees, fleeing conflict in Sudan.
- This year we experienced several key public health emergencies; the most significant being Cholera. By the end of December, approximately 10,765 cholera cases and 165 cholera-attributed deaths were reported across 28 counties in seven states. The highest number of cases were reported from Unity State and the age group with the highest case count is 0 - 4..
- As of 31 December, 20 months since the beginning of the Sudan crisis in April 2023, over 996,648 individuals, including 498,293 children, entered South Sudan.
SITUATION IN NUMBERS
4,900,000 Children in need of humanitarian assistance
9,000,000 People in need of humanitarian assistance
484,502 children 6-59 months with severe wasting admitted
2,000,000 Internally Displaced People
FUNDING OVERVIEW AND PARTNERSHIPS
Humanitarian needs in South Sudan, are driven by ongoing conflict, floods, economic crisis, disease outbreaks, and widespread displacements with the humanitarian crises affecting over 9 million people, including 4.9 million children, who required urgent assistance. The situation was further worsened by the ongoing conflict in Sudan, which led to 508,648 refugees and returnees entering South Sudan since the beginning of 2024, of whom 246,028 were children. Compounding these challenges and worsening humanitarian conditions, was prolonged flooding that has had an impact on more than 1.4 million people across 44 counties with more than half of the affected people in Jonglei and Northern Bahr el Ghazal States.
Further, a cholera outbreak was declared by the Ministry of Health in October, heightening health risks for vulnerable groups, especially children. Despite the increased needs and great efforts to mobilize funding, UNICEF's cholera response remained critically underfunded with a gap of US$ 22.5 million against the required US$ 24 million.
Overall in 2024, UNICEF South Sudan was able to reach 3,788,500 million people with multi-sector responses. To reach vulnerable communities, especially those living in hard to reach areas, UNICEF put great emphasis on partnerships and localization with international and local NGOs. Throughout the year, UNICEF partnered with a total of 74 organizations including 34 International NGOs, 40 National NGOs and 5 Community Based Organizations.
Despite the generosity of donors, as of the end of 2024, the South Sudan Humanitarian Action for Children (HAC) was 65 per cent unfunded. The United States of America, the European Union, the United Kingdom and the National Committes for UNICEF (NatCom)- France, Germany, Spain, Norway, Japan, the Country-Based Pool Fund, the World Bank, all have contrinuted to UNICEF in 2024. In addition, support from Global Thematic Funds enabled flexible response and investments for the Sudan crisis, including resources for the establishment of the Renk Satellite Office (Upper Nile State).
Further, Emergency Program Fund (EPF), loaned to the office, off set costs in UNICEF's cholera response as well as preparedness and response efforts in flooding. Further leveraging, where possible, flexible donor funds to prepare and respond to floods, and the needs of South Sudanese returnees and Sudan refugees, fleeing conflict in Sudan.
Since January 2024, UNICEF has received US$63.2 million (including US$25.8 million carry-forward) of the budgeted US$252.5 million in the HAC. Critical underfunding was faced across all sectors, with Education, Health and WASH sectors being the most affected and receiving only 2 per cent, 14 per cent and 22 per cent respectively of their annual requests.
SITUATION OVERVIEW AND HUMANITARIAN NEEDS
The Sudan crisis, has significantly impacted South Sudan, with 996,648 individuals, including 498,293 children as of 31 December 2024, crossing the border as returnees and refugees. This has contributed to an increase of eight per cent of the total population in South Sudan. Many arrive in dire need of humanitarian assistance, with high rates of malnutrition evident among new arrivals. Many women and adolescent girls arriving are survivors of gender based violence. While onward movement options are available, a substantial number of individuals have opted to remain in transit centers and towns near the border, such as Renk and Malakal, with intentions to stay. During the rainy season, the influx reduced to an average of less than 1,000 daily arrivals; however, in December, escalating dynamics in the Sudan conflict led to a surge in crossings, particularly through unofficial border points, averaging 3,000 - 10,000 individuals daily, totalling 120,000 individuals in December.
In June, to enhance coordination and manage the response effectively, UNICEF established a satellite office in Renk county where 80 per cent of all crossings take place (formally or informally). Through this effort, UNICEF has been on the ground and able to support partners across various sectors to address critical needs, and provide life-saving assistance.
This crisis has further strained South Sudan’s already fragile humanitarian situation, that is hosting 1.8 million internally displaced peoples (IDPs) and 504,000 refugees, exacerbating the burden on limited resources and existing vulnerabilities.
Natural disasters intensified the country’s humanitarian crisis. The release of water from Uganda’s Jinja Dam and increased rainfall, accompanied by protracted flooding in several areas, resulted in heightened water levels along the river Nile. Over 1.4 million people were affected across 44 counties and the Abyei Administrative Area, with more than half of the affected population in Jonglei and Northern Bahr el Ghazal States. Critical infrastructure, including schools (522 schools), health centers (58 facilities), nutrition sites and WASH facilities, were affected, leaving communities without essential services. Crop destruction worsened malnutrition, as families struggled to access food amidst the flooding. Displaced populations moved to higher grounds, leading to land clashes and further intercommunal conflicts. Women and children bore the brunt of these challenges, with limited access to safe shelters, healthcare, and education.
The country faced a dire food security and nutrition crisis, with an estimated 6.3 million people classified in IPC Phase 3 or above (crisis or worse), including 1.7 million individuals facing critical levels of acute food insecurity in IPC Phase 4 (Emergency) or higher according to the IPC report published in November. These numbers included returnees and refugees fleeing the Sudan crisis, further straining the country’s resources. The situation is projected to worsen during the lean season of April to July 2025, with an estimated 7.7 million people expected to be in IPC Phase 3 or above, highlighting a deteriorating food security outlook. The most affected populations are concentrated in Jonglei, Northern Bahr el Ghazal, Upper Nile, Unity, and Warrap States.
Acute malnutrition remains a significant concern, with 2.1 million children aged 6-59 months projected to suffer from acute malnutrition by June 2025, alongside 1.1 million pregnant or breastfeeding women. This alarming trend is driven by multiple factors, including poor childcare practices, a high disease burden, limited access to sanitation facilities, and low coverage of essential nutrition programs. The economic crisis, ongoing insecurity, and climatic shocks, including floods and droughts, further exacerbate acute food insecurity and malnutrition levels.
In response, UNICEF supported critical nutrition interventions nationwide, focusing on the prevention and treatment of malnutrition. This included providing therapeutic and supplementary nutrition, counselling on infant and young child feeding practices, and strengthening community-based management of malnutrition programs. These efforts aimed to mitigate the impacts of the growing food security and nutrition crisis and to address the urgent needs of the most vulnerable populations.
The economic crisis deepened in 2024, driven by a series of destabilizing factors. The South Sudanese Pound (SSP) depreciated drastically, plunging from 1,095 SSP in January 2024 to 4,900 SSP against the dollar by December 2024 in the parallel market. The 2 destruction of a key oil pipeline in February crippled the nation’s primary revenue source, while civil servants have remained unpaid for over 12 months.
As highlighted by the Cash Working Group's Joint Market Monitoring Initiative the cost of essential foods recorded an alarming increase throughout the year. By November 2024, the costs recorded of maize, rice, beans and sugar increased by 198 per cent (from 761 SSP to 2,268 SSP), 383 per cent (1,500 SSP to 7,250 SSP), 346 per cent (1,902 SSP to 8,500 SSP) and 300 per cent (1,500 SSP to 6,000 SSP) respectively compared to December 2023. This economic turmoil exacerbated poverty, leaving families unable to afford basic needs and further marginalizing already vulnerable communities.
Conflict remained a dominant issue throughout the year, with intercommunal violence stemming from armed conflicts, land disputes, revenge attacks, cattle raids and ethnic tensions. These events were recorded in different areas of the country with Jonglei State recording increased cattle raiding and abductions, armed robbery being rampant in Central Equatoria and revenge killing in Warrap States. Major incidents include the ethnic-driven conflicts in Tambura that erupted in April and December between the Azande and Balanda tribes, in Western Equatoria, displacing thousands and leaving many, especially children and women, vulnerable to violence and exploitation and unable to access lifesaving assistance where needed.
Political related clashes were often reported leading up to the postponement of the elections (to December 2026) causing tensions, underscoring the fragile political environment. This was mainly driven by the defections of high-ranking political figures to the government as well as delay of the fulfillment of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R- ARCSS) and the slowing process of the Tumaini Peace Talks.
Humanitarian operations continued to face significant impediments due to increased violence and threats to both personnel and assets. More than 400 incidents were reported between January and November 2024 which is a 16 per cent increase compared to same time in 2023, 17 further complicating aid delivery. Illegal checkpoints and aid diversion violence severely impeded humanitarian operations, delaying critical assistance to those in dire need. These challenges disproportionately affected children, women, and the elderly, who rely heavily on humanitarian support for survival.
UNICEF recorded over 84 incidents within its AIMS platform with over 70 per cent affecting implementing partners and service providers. The majority of these incidents were crime related and aid diversion was reported among 48 per cent of the incidents recorded by implementing partners. There is still an urgent need for the government to intensify efforts to strengthen security measures ensuring vulnerable populations are reached with and have access to safe and timely critical assistance.
South Sudan’s fragile healthcare system, with over 27 per cent of its health centers non-functional, struggled to cope with multiple disease outbreaks. Yellow fever (139 cases) and measles outbreaks (3,501 suspected cases) persisted despite vaccination campaigns, while malaria remained the leading cause of mortality and morbidity.
A cholera outbreak was declared in late October following cross border case transmission from Sudan. The oubreak spread rapidly affecting seven states by year-end, overwhelming health systems and exacerbating the health crisis. By end of December, 10,765 suspected cases were recorded in 28 counties, across 7 states including 169 deaths with a case fatality rate of 1.5 per cent.
Rubkona, and Juba recorded the highest rate of suspected cases at 5,285 and 1,470 respectively. Children under 14 years had the highest prevalence among the age groups at 54 per cent prevalence. By the end of December, with support from UNICEF 147,392 individuals had received oral cholera vaccine in Renk and Juba with immediate plans for Malakal and Rubkona. A total of 1.3 million oral cholera vaccines had been received in the country.
Other outbreaks recorded in 2024 included Hepatitis E (1,502 cases recorded in 2024), anthrax (165 human cases), polio (12 cases), and cases of snake bites. Poor WASH and health infrastructure (including essential goods) continue to drive the spread of cholera across the country.
The porous borders and inadequate surveillance mechanisms heightened the risk of Mpox and Marburg disease transmission from neighboring countries. Even though there was no confirmed cases of Mpox in the country the number of suspected cases were 131 as of 19 December 2024. Women and children in overcrowded displacement sites were particularly susceptible to these outbreaks, with limited access to healthcare and sanitation exacerbating their vulnerability.
The convergence of these crises has left South Sudan in a precarious state, with children, women, and vulnerable populations enduring the greatest hardships. The compounded impact of conflict, natural disasters, economic instability, food insecurity, and disease outbreaks underscores the urgent need for comprehensive humanitarian intervention with projection of 9.3 million people in need in 2025. Strengthened coordination, increased funding, and enhanced protection mechanisms are essential to alleviate suffering and build resilience among the affected communities.