South Sudan: The country’s humanitarian needs continue to rise

(Photo Credit: Alex Majoli)

Joint SSRC-IFRC-ICRC News Release

The humanitarian needs in South Sudan continue to rise at an alarming rate, as armed conflict and violence, diseases, as well as natural disasters wreck the lives and livelihoods of millions of people across the country.  

The South Sudan Red Cross (SSRC), present throughout the country with over 19,000 volunteers, has been at the forefront of the Red Cross and Red Crescent (RCRC) Movement’s efforts to provide South Sudanese people and communities the humanitarian assistance they desperately need. Today, we take time to honor the Red Cross and Red Crescent volunteers and staff who show up every day for people in crisis.

“South Sudanese people continue to face severe humanitarian consequences, driven by relentless conflict and violence, climate shocks, disease outbreaks and a struggling economy in a context of political instability”, said John Lobor, Secretary General of the SSRC. “This persistent crisis has eroded community resilience, shattered essential services and displaced millions of people”, Lobor added.

In 2025 alone, armed conflict and violence forced more than half a million people to flee their homes sometimes through flooded wetlands, leaving them uncertain about where their next meal will come from and exposing them to disease and risk of further violence. Hundreds of patients wounded in the fighting lacked access to life-saving medical care while the number of people living with disabilities as a result of injuries in armed conflict was at its highest in nearly 10 years.

Although the fate and whereabouts of 340 people were clarified, 541 new cases of missing people were documented. Regarding the survivors/victims of sexual violence, which is driven by years of conflict and intercommunal violence, they struggle with access to life-saving care due to fear of reprisal from the perpetrator/s, fear of/and stigmatization from the community, hindrances to access health care, and very few safe and accessible services, especially in conflict-affected areas. In addition, the humanitarian crisis in the country is exacerbated by the influx of over 1.3 million returnees and refugees from neighboring Sudan.

The RCRC Movement takes this opportunity to urge all parties to the conflict to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law (IHL), alleviating civilian suffering and fostering the path toward a peaceful future for South Sudan.

As we celebrate World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day, we reaffirm the RCRC Movement’s unwavering commitment to providing humanitarian assistance to South Sudanese communities affected by armed conflict, violence, diseases, and natural disasters.

In South Sudan, the RCRC Movement consist of SSRC, ICRC, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), German Red Cross, Finnish Red Cross, Danish Red Cross, Swiss Red Cross, Swedish Red Cross, Norwegian Red Cross, Netherlands Red Cross, and Canadian Red Cross.

For more information, please contact:

John Lobor, South Sudan Red Cross, Tel: +211 912666836, email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Paula Fitzgerald, IFRC Head of Delegation, Tel: +211 912179511, email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Germain Mwehu, ICRC South Sudan, Tel: +211 912360023, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Source: https://www.icrc.org/en/news-release/south-sudan-countrys-humanitarian-needs-continue-rise