South Sudan is facing an escalating crisis marked by conflict, climate change, displacement, and soaring living costs, pushing millions of its people to the brink. Urgent intervention is imperative to alleviate suffering and chart a path towards a more prosperous future, said UNDP’s Crisis Chief from Juba today.

Recent projections reveal alarming statistics, with approximately 7.1 million out of South Sudan's 12.4 million population expected to endure crisis-level hunger during the upcoming lean season, starting in a month. Moreover, nine million individuals require humanitarian assistance this year, half of whom are children. Shockingly, less than one in ten have access to electricity, while 70 percent lack basic healthcare services.

United Nations Assistant Secretary-General and United Nations Development Programme Crisis Bureau Director, Shoko Noda, visited South Sudan this week, bearing witness to the country’s deepening crisis. In Malakal, where hundreds of thousands have sought refuge since the outbreak of conflict in Sudan last April, ASG Noda observed firsthand how the large-scale displacement is exacerbating existing challenges in the country.

"As the world's attention is drawn elsewhere, the people of South Sudan are enduring unimaginable hardship, grappling with ongoing conflict, mass displacement, the ravages of climate change, and an exorbitant cost of living that renders basic necessities unattainable for many. The impact is devastating," remarked ASG Noda. "South Sudan urgently requires increased development support that empowers individuals to break free from the cycle of crisis and build safer, more stable, and prosperous lives."