The specter of hunger threatens 2 million children, Save the Children suspends operations
According to the latest data from the Global Integrated Food Security Phased Classification, about 2.2 million children under the age of five in South Sudan are in need of immediate treatment for acute malnutrition, an increase of nearly 90,000 cases from previous analyses.
In the same report, the Global Hunger Crisis Assessment Reference explained that among these cases, about 700,000 children suffer from severe acute malnutrition, the most lethal form that requires urgent medical care, pointing out that more than 7.8 million people (six out of ten people in the country) are currently facing severe food insecurity.
Field Tragedy and Suspension of Relief
Field reports by the British organization Save the Children, issued in conjunction with the UN warnings, revealed a tragic reality for families in Jonglei state, where residents have been forced to rely on tree leaves, water lilies collected from swamps, and seed cultivation to survive.
In its statement, the organization confirmed that it was forced to suspend its humanitarian operations in the "Akobo East" region due to security risks and the escalation of fighting since last March between government forces and armed groups, after a similar suspension witnessed in the "Waljak" area last February after its office and health center were looted and vandalized.
Pressure on hospitals and education
Tabisa Ajire, a health worker at Bor Hospital in Jonglei State, explained in a field testimony documented by WHO on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, that the feeding centers are currently receiving more than 60 children suffering from acute malnutrition, vomiting and diarrhea
Numbers jumped earlier this year than in previous years due to the early hunger crisis, insecurity and floods, and reports indicated that these harsh conditions have forced thousands of children to leave school due to physical weakness caused by hunger, or as a result of their families being forced to work and early marriage as a desperate option for survival.
In a statement published on Tuesday, June 9, Save the Children Country Director Chris Nyamandi blamed the conflicting parties for the worsening hunger crisis, stressing that solutions to extreme hunger are primarily political and can be prevented.
Nyamandi criticized policies to cut international aid that directly affect the most vulnerable, coinciding with the country's 15th anniversary of independence from Sudan (declared in 2011), calling on all parties to the conflict to ensure unhindered humanitarian access and comply with international law.
More than 19 million Sudanese are at risk of hunger
International reports from the World Food Programme (WFP), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) recently warned that 19.5 million people are at risk of acute hunger in Sudan.
According to the "Africa News" news website, reports indicate that "the Sudanese crisis has become a comprehensive humanitarian crisis that includes food insecurity, deteriorating health conditions, weak protection, displacement and the decline of humanitarian services."
"Millions of Sudanese rely on food aid as their primary source of survival, at a time when international aid agencies are facing many challenges to meet the needs of those affected," the WFP said.