Elections are planned for December 2024. However, the security situation is not improving, with increased inter-communal violence resulting in civilian casualties, new displacements, and a very insecure environment for aid workers. Compounded with the consequences of climate change, macro-economic shocks, and the consequences of the war in Sudan, South Sudan is sinking further into the worst humanitarian crisis since independence.
More than 4 million people, or over 1/3 of the population, are displaced. This includes 2 million internally displaced and nearly 2.2 million who are living as refugees in neighboring countries.
South Sudan is hosting more than 400,000 refugees, including over 110,000 who have arrived since the beginning of the conflict in Sudan, and more than 450,000 South Sudanese who have returned from Sudan since April 2023.
9 million people (54% of them children) will require humanitarian assistance in 2024, including 7.1 million people estimated to become severely food insecure at the peak of the lean season between April and July. It is estimated that more than 1.4 million children will suffer from acute malnutrition during the same period.
Health indicators are among the worst in the world, with 6.3 million people having limited access to essential healthcare services. Epidemic outbreaks, water-borne and endemic diseases are reported, particularly in sites for the internally displaced and congested settlements.
Beyond the huge logistical challenges, South Sudan continues to be among the most dangerous countries for humanitarian workers, with 34 of them killed in 2023.