WFP South Sudan Country Brief, August 2021

In Numbers

20,092 mt of food and nutrition assistance distributed*

USD 4.1 m in cash-based transfers made*

USD 334 m six months (Sep 2021 to Feb 2022) net funding requirements**

2.08 m people assisted*

*in July 2021

Operational Updates

• The fall-out following the June 2021 split in the Sudan People's Liberation Army in-Opposition (SPLA-IO) continues to cause tensions in the Upper Nile state. This continued political uncertainty may delay and affect WFP’s operations in Upper Nile and Northern Jonglei in the short term, including its flood response and food security data collection exercises.

• The security situation remains uncertain in Tambura, Western Equatoria State. The fighting that started in late June involved informal armed actors, the SPLA-IO and the South Sudan People's Defence Forces (SSPDF). Recurring clashes have resulted in mass displacements of around 80,000 people. Consequently, WFP increased its assistance to support over 40,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs). If tensions do not de-escalate and a peaceful resolution to the conflict cannot be found quickly, IDPs will not be able to return to their homes and their harvest may be lost.

• Tensions may rise in IDP camps by end of September as ration cuts will affect more than 100,000 displaced people for three months, starting in October in Juba, Wau and Bor. As a result of funding constraints, WFP announced the ration cuts from 70 percent to 50 percent of the food basket and the reduction of the duration of support from 12 to 9 months back in April 2021, to scale-up assistance in counties facing famine-like conditions.

• In 2021, more than 445,000 people have been affected by flooding in 20 counties across South Sudan. WFP is assisting close to 380,000 people as part of its lean season response and scaled-up response in IPC phase 5 counties. However, lack of funding does not allow support to 15,000 people in new flood-affected Regions of Northern Bahr El Ghazal. The office of the Vice President, chairing the governance cluster, has declared the flood across the country as a national emergency.