Attachments
Key Findings
- Overall, South Sudanese households are facing the worst food security situation since the Food Security and Nutrition Monitoring System (FSNMS) began in 2010.
- More than three-fourths (76 percent) of the households across the country are facing moderate to severe food insecurity. This is higher than the 67 percent reported from the FSNMS survey conducted in December 2016 and also the 71 percent during the lean season (June) of 2016. 80 percent of the households recorded below acceptable food consumption scores, of which 54 percent had poor consumption and 26 percent had borderline consumption. Considering the household hunger scale, 79 percent of the households experienced moderate to severe hunger (66 percent moderate and 13 percent severe) up from 68 percent (65 percent moderate and 3 percent severe) at the same time one year ago.
- Food insecurity has spread out of traditional areas of Great Upper Nile region. High food insecurity levels are also observed in the Equatorias region, once considered the bread basket of the country, with a significant deterioration from the same period in the last year, an indication of the impact of prevailing insecurity in this region, and consequent disruption of livelihoods.
- Overall, households are spending almost two thirds (64 percent) of their monthly expenditures on food, higher than the same period last year (57 percent), showing a decrease in their purchasing power and their ability to procure essential non-food items and services
- Households have been facing challenges in sustaining income through their livelihoods. Some 90 percent of the respondents reported their income had either reduced or remained the same compared to one year ago. This has an adverse impact on household purchasing power and consequent food security at a time when food prices have continued to rise exorbitantly. The retail prices of sorghum and field beans in Juba in September 2017 were higher by 235 percent and 290 percent respectively, compared to one year ago.