Global Emergency Update:

Hunger and Displacement in South Sudan and Sudan

Context

The food and displacement crises in South Sudan and Sudan pose a dire humanitarian challenge that demands global attention and action. In South Sudan, a staggering 75% of the population requires humanitarian assistance due to a combination of conflict, climate-driven crises and displacement. Similarly, the people of Sudan face a worsening humanitarian crisis, with conflict leading to the world’s largest internal displacement emergency and more than half the population facing severe food shortages. Catholic Relief Services is actively responding to these crises, providing emergency food items, cash assistance and livelihoods support, prioritizing the most vulnerable communities.

South Sudan

South Sudan, the world’s youngest country, is now ranked the world’s third most fragile state as compounded crises put millions of lives at risk. Since the country’s independence in 2011, its people have endured continuous conflict, climate-driven crises and large-scale displacement. Consecutive years of extreme flooding have led to major displacement and loss of land and assets.

Hunger has reached an alarming level. An estimated 7.1 million people—59% of South Sudan’s population—are experiencing a degree of food deprivation that puts their lives or livelihoods in immediate danger.

Of this number, 2.3 million people face emergency food insecurity conditions. Families are selling their assets to cope, while facing starvation, critical acute malnutrition, destitution and even death. Across Jonglei State, there is catastrophic food insecurity, with the possibility of similar levels in the northeastern Upper Nile region.

Sudan

In Sudan, a humanitarian crisis is worsening as conflict disrupts life, deepens hunger and displaces millions of people. Civil war erupted across the country in mid‑April 2023, with fighting concentrated in the capital of Khartoum and in cities across Darfur and Kordofan states. More than 10.5 million people have been displaced—7.7 million internally and 2.8 million as refugees to neighboring countries.

Hunger has reached catastrophic levels in Khartoum and Gezira states. This year, some 730,000 children are projected to suffer severe acute malnutrition, the most life‑threatening form. Across the country, 25.6 million people—more than half the population—face severe food shortages. As the lean season between harvests approaches, food security is expected to deteriorate.

CRS and Partner Response

CRS is responding to the crises in both countries by providing emergency food distributions, cash assistance, health care and livelihoods support. In South Sudan, we focus on the Greater Jonglei region, while in Sudan, we operate in 32 localities.

We are distributing emergency food, prioritizing cash and voucher assistance, training school nutrition providers, and supporting agricultural and other income-generating activities. We are also providing tools for agricultural production and training community animal health workers.

CRS also offers emergency health and nutrition services, including nutrition screenings, therapeutic foods, and support for mobile clinics and rural health facilities.

In South Sudan

Our response is an extension of programming taking place across the country, including food assistance, livelihoods recovery, comprehensive water, sanitation and hygiene, health and nutrition services, and support for market‑based activities.

CRS is coordinating at the county, state and national levels. With our local partners, we are prioritizing emergency response in the counties of the Greater Jonglei region that are most vulnerable to flooding and conflict.

Priorities for CRS and partner support in South Sudan include:

• • Emergency food. In partnership with the World Food Program, CRS is distributing food to affected communities as well as returnees and internally displaced people. CRS is also providing food through school nutrition programs.
  • Cash assistance. Where assessments deem markets to be functioning and safely accessible, CRS supports the use of multipurpose cash assistance, which helps families and communities buy food and essential living items in local markets.
  • Livelihoods support. To increase food production in vulnerable areas of Jonglei and Lakes states, CRS and our partners are helping communities form agriculture, fishing and livestock groups, and are distributing vegetable seed kits to farmers, fishing kits to fishery groups, and tools to agriculture groups.
  • Water, sanitation and hygiene. CRS and our partners are repairing and constructing water systems, including dikes, drainage channels, boreholes and water pans. We are also providing access to clean water, as well as hygiene kits and information on preventing illness.
  • Social cohesion. CRS is working with communities to build trust among diverse groups. We work with the South Sudan Council of Churches to nurture relationships with government representatives and religious and community leaders.

In Sudan

Despite significant operational challenges, CRS continues to provide emergency and resilience programming, notably in East Darfur, West Darfur, Central Darfur, Khartoum, Red Sea and Gedarif states. Since September 2023, CRS has supported 1.1 million people with food, health care, nutrition, child protection, education, social cohesion activities, livelihoods, and water, sanitation and hygiene.

Given the regional impacts of this crisis, CRS is also working with partners to provide relief to Sudanese refugees in Egypt, Chad and South Sudan. Priorities include food, cash assistance, agriculture and livelihoods support, shelter and living supplies, water, sanitation and hygiene, health and nutrition support, peacebuilding activities and counseling support.

Highlights of CRS programming include:

• Food security and livelihoods
  • Distributing emergency food to displaced and conflict‑affected communities.
  • Reaching 288,701 people through food assistance programs in partnership with the World Food Program, the USAID Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance, the Darfur Emergency Response Activity, and 157 informal structures made up of community volunteers.
  • Assisting 175,181 people in West Darfur, Central Darfur and Red Sea states with 10,319 tons of food and supplements in coordination with the World Food Program.
  • Assisting 115,067 people across Khartoum state with soup kitchens and food baskets.
  • Prioritizing cash and voucher assistance for people to buy food and critical supplies where markets are functional and accessible.
  • Training school nutrition providers in healthy food handling, quality assurance and control, and vegetable gardening.
  • Linking people to business training, financial services and investment opportunities.
  • Providing tools to start up and expand agricultural and other income‑generating activities and promoting early recovery and resilience in more stable areas of Sudan.
  • Training veterinarians and animal health workers.
  • Supporting savings groups to build their individual and collective financial assets.

   

  Health

  • Providing emergency health and nutrition services focused on nutrition screening for children under age 5, and pregnant and breastfeeding women.
  • Distributing ready‑to‑use therapeutic and supplementary foods for malnourished children.
  • Supporting mobile clinics and rural health facilities.
  • Strengthening the capacity of health facilities to provide treatment, immunization and medical care—including for pregnant women and new mothers—and training for health facility workers and pharmacists.
  • Promoting good nutrition by strengthening the capacity of nutrition staff, mother support groups and malnutrition preventative efforts.
  • Training community health management committees to support health facilities within their area.

  1.1 million people in Sudan have received CRS support, including food, health care, nutrition, child protection, education, social cohesion activities, livelihoods, and water, sanitation and hygiene.

  Market‑Based Response

  CRS and our partners work within existing market systems to provide food, nutrition and access to basic supplies through cash, vouchers or market support. In the medium to long term, we intentionally support markets to be inclusive, conflict‑sensitive, resilient and able to reach the last mile with affordable, nutritious foods. We also provide access to seeds, tools, materials and other resources needed for climate‑resilient agricultural production. Prioritizing market support in the longer term helps ensure that the most vulnerable people have access to food and necessities in the event of future crises.

CRS Country Programs

South Sudan

CRS has field bases in Jonglei, Eastern Equatoria and Lakes states. We also have 13 warehouses across Jonglei’s Ayod, Duk and Pibor counties, and have the capacity for rapid emergency programs in all areas of Jonglei where field bases can be quickly re‑established.

CRS continues to work with partners and communities to adapt assistance to meet evolving needs. We are leveraging our logistics network and experience, and using road, water and air transport to deliver supplies and staff—even to very remote areas.

Sudan

CRS began serving communities in need in Sudan in 1978. After relocating to what is now South Sudan in 1982, CRS reopened its offices in Sudan in 2004. Today, CRS has 200 national staff and 12 offices, and operates in 32 localities. CRS works with local and international partners to implement programming in some of Sudan’s hardest‑to‑reach areas across the five Darfur states, and in eastern Sudan.

CRS has been active in responding to emergencies, supporting recovery after conflict and promoting long‑term resilience. The crisis in Sudan requires a well‑coordinated, rapid and robust humanitarian response to save lives, reduce suffering, build resilience, and support social cohesion and peacebuilding.

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