This archive report was first published on 15 September 2019.
South Sudan's food security situation remains dire, with over half the population, approximately 6.35 million people, facing severe food insecurity.
According to an Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) update released jointly by the South Sudan government, the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, the United Nations Children's Fund, and the World Food Programme, 54 per cent of people in South Sudan are still severely food insecure.
Published on September 15, 2019, the report estimates that 10,000 people are currently in IPC Phase 5, facing an extreme lack of food, while about 1.7 million are in IPC Phase 4 and another 4.6 million people are experiencing IPC Phase 3 levels of acute food insecurity.
The Greater Upper Nile region continues to be the most food insecure, followed by the Greater Bahr el Ghazal region, with those in IPC Phase 5 located in Yirol East of the former Lakes state requiring urgent humanitarian support.
Although the food security situation is severe, a recent improvement could be attributed to the Revitalized Peace Agreement signed in September 2018, which has led to a decrease in armed conflict, encouraging the voluntary return of farmers and improving access to livelihoods and markets.
Meshack Malo, FAO Representative in South Sudan, noted, 'With political stability and sustained peace, South Sudan could quickly recover from the crisis and boost its food production. The IPC findings are still alarming, but they also show that the peace agreement is bearing dividends and its full implementation is of utmost significance for the country.'
On malnutrition, the report states that acute malnutrition levels among children under five years of age have increased significantly, from 13 per cent in 2018 to 16 per cent in 2019, exceeding the emergency threshold of 15 per cent, with an estimated 1.3 million children affected in 2020.
Despite the challenges, the UN agencies estimate that the food security situation in South Sudan is expected to improve from now and towards the end of the year, as seasonal harvests become available, although 4.5 million people will still face Crisis, Emergency, or Catastrophe levels of food insecurity and require assistance.
