South Sudan’s Lafon County: Hunger Crisis Amidst Drought Khartoum, Sudan — A severe drought has caused a critical hunger crisis in Lafon County, Eastern Equatoria State, South Sudan.
The South Sudan NGO Forum reports that the prolonged dry spell has led to significant crop failures, heightening the risk of famine for the county’s 141,000 residents.
The crisis has been compounded by the country’s economic instability, with a sharp GDP contraction of 27. 6% in FY2023/24, largely due to disruptions in oil production and exports. Although there has been a modest economic rebound of 4.
0% in FY2024/25, the recovery remains fragile.
In response to the hunger situation, the Eastern Equatoria State Relief and Rehabilitation Commission announced an emergency meeting with humanitarian partners, resulting in an urgent fact — finding assessment. This assessment revealed confirmed deaths related to hunger, a high population movement of women seeking food, and protection concerns along key routes, including gender-based violence and child abduction.
The situation is further exacerbated by limited medical supplies in rural health facilities, the depletion of essential household items used for food exchange, and the closure of schools in rural payams due to the worsening hunger conditions. Despite these challenges, authorities are encouraging communities to continue farming with limited resources such as seeds.
The African Development Bank’s Country Focus Report notes that the country’s economic recovery is heavily reliant on the recovery of oil production and exports, which remains susceptible to various risks.
The humanitarian situation in South Sudan is dire, with over 10 million people, two-thirds of the population, projected to require some form of humanitarian assistance in 2026.
The UN inquiry into the situation in South Sudan has found that political and military leaders are driving the country towards a full — scale war and mass atrocity crimes, further complicating the humanitarian crisis.
The international community is urged to provide urgent support to mitigate the food insecurity crisis in Lafon County.
The South Sudan Cash Working Group and other humanitarian organizations are working tirelessly to meet the immediate needs of the affected populations, but more resources and international cooperation are needed to prevent a full — blown famine.
*Additional reporting by ImNews | Sources consulted: 5*
—
This original article was produced by the ImNews editorial team
Source: reliefweb
Source: South Sudan NGO Forum
