Malakal, South Sudan – August 4, 2025

Malakal is at the epicenter of South Sudan’s worsening hunger crisis, with 7.1 million people nationwide facing crisis-level food insecurity (IPC Phase 3 or worse).

In Upper Nile State, home to Malakal, the situation is dire, with 2.1 million children at risk of acute malnutrition.

The ongoing conflict in Sudan has disrupted food supply chains, while local clashes and flooding have destroyed crops and livestock, leaving families like that of James Gatluak, a 40-year-old farmer, without sustenance.“We lost our harvest to floods, and now we eat once a day, if lucky,” Gatluak said.

World Vision and other NGOs are delivering food aid, but insecurity in Upper Nile and Jonglei has halted distributions in some areas.

The UN’s World Food Programme warns that without immediate intervention, famine could spread to Malakal, as seen in North Darfur’s Zamzam camp. Economic shocks, including soaring food prices, further limit access to markets.

The 2025 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan calls for $1.8 billion to address food insecurity in South Sudan, but only 21% is funded. Humanitarian workers urge donors to act swiftly to prevent starvation in Malakal’s overcrowded displacement sites.