Country Overview

Country Overview

Since its independence in 2011, South Sudan continues to experience extremely severe and widespread needs across most sectors. Renewed armed conflict since March 2025 – particularly intense in Upper Nile, the Equatorias, and Jonglei – was compounded by the third consecutive year of widespread flooding, continued economic collapse, and the sustained pressure of more than 1.3 million Sudanese refugees and South Sudanese returnees entering the country since April 2023.

The result is a crisis of compounding system failures in which food insecurity, acute malnutrition, epidemic disease, and health system collapse are co-occurring at scale – and in which the populations most exposed are systematically those with the least capacity to cope. In 2026, over two-third of the population is in need of humanitarian assistance and 55% of the population will be experiencing high level of acute food insecurity between April and June 2026.

IMPACT has been present in South Sudan through its REACH initiative since 2012 to inform humanitarian response strategy, prioritization and planning. Our work is centered around three main objectives:

1) Informing prioritization, response design, and monitoring of shocks and needs severity via high quality data collection with a focus on cash and public health;
2) Providing strategic Information Management and technical support to key decision-makers and coordination platforms such as the Needs Analysis Working Group;
3) Improving evidence on climate shocks, displacement and durable solutions to support pathways towards resilience and development.

Explore some of the country latest analyses below and learn more about IMPACT activities in South Sudan by signing up to our country newsletter, or by accessing our Resource Centre.

Research Highlights

Flooding and violence drive alarming acute malnutrition levels in Fangak County
March 2026

Conditions in Fangak have long ranked among the most severe in South Sudan. Six consecutive years of catastrophic flooding (2019-2024) regularly triggered disease outbreaks, submerged villages, displaced thousands, decimated an entire livelihood system, and drove catastrophic levels of hunger.

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What is the Acute Needs Analysis (ANA)?
July – Sept 2025

The ANA is a humanitarian research pilot project designed to identify populations facing urgent, life-threatening needs. It seeks to bring these populations to the attention of humanitarian decision-makers—especially in contexts where information is scarce or fragmented. All analysis is conducted by dedicated, country‑based analysts with deep contextual expertise, ensuring robust support for humanitarian prioritization across and within crises.

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Related News

Flood Impact Mapping I Ongoing severe floods in South Sudan challenge local communities

Country news / 19 December 2025

Flood Impact Mapping I Ongoing severe floods in South Sudan challenge local communities

South Sudan is highly exposed to climate hazards, and above-average rains continue to shape the humanitarian landscape. Communities face multiple, compounding challenges, including recurrent flooding, food insecurity, public health risks,...

South Sudan: deepening humanitarian crisis in Upper Nile State amid mass displacement from Sudan

Country news / 27 February 2025

South Sudan: deepening humanitarian crisis in Upper Nile State amid mass displacement from Sudan

During just 6 weeks beginning in December 2024, clashes in Sudan forced more than 120,000 people across the border into Renk County, South Sudan, marking the largest influx since the...

South Sudan | Public Health in Rubkona County: Key Findings from our July 2024 Assessment

Country news / 30 October 2024

South Sudan | Public Health in Rubkona County: Key Findings from our July 2024 Assessment

Our July 2024 Integrated Public Health Rapid Assessment for Rubkona County sheds light on the unprecedented public health crises affecting IDP settlements in Bentiu Town, Bentiu IDP Camp, and Rotriak....

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