Humanitarian Minister Albino Akol Atak and UN Humanitarian Coordinator Anita Kiki launch 2025 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan (HNRP). December 16, 2024. (Photo: Sebit Patrick).

The humanitarian community in South Sudan appealed for US$1.7 billion to provide life-saving assistance to 5.4 million people experiencing the most acute needs across the country as it launched the 2025 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan (HNRP) on Monday.
In a press statement, the agency revealed that 9.3 million people – 69 per cent of South Sudan’s total population of 13.4 million – are projected to require some form of humanitarian assistance in 2025.

Out of the projected needy population, humanitarian partners will target 5.4 million vulnerable people facing the most acute needs with life-saving services.

“Collaboration will continue in 2025 – not only to bring relief to people affected by crisis but also to support durable solutions and build their resilience by investing in the provision of basic services and livelihood opportunities to enable them to graduate from humanitarian assistance,” said Albino Akol Atak, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management.

The protracted humanitarian crisis in South Sudan is deepened by conflict, extreme effects of climate change, disease outbreaks, economic crisis and the impact of the ongoing conflict in neighboring Sudan.

Since the outbreak of the Sudan crisis in April 2023, over 905,000 people have crossed into South Sudan, with an additional 337,000 people projected to arrive in 2025, the UN humanitarian agency said.

UN-OCHA underlines that South Sudanese people continue to be affected by high levels of food insecurity and malnutrition.

According to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report released in November, 6.4 million people are severely food-insecure in crisis levels or worse (IPC Phase 3+).

This number is projected to increase to 7.7 million – over 57 per cent of the country’s total population – during the lean season from April to July 2025.

Nutrition projections estimate 2.08 million children under age 5 at risk of acute malnutrition and 650,000 children under age 5 at risk of severe acute malnutrition in 2025 – a 26 per cent and 33 per cent increase from the projections in 2024 respectively.

“The 2025 HNRP paints an accurate picture of the most acute needs of vulnerable people across the country, and a plan for assistance that is realistic and most importantly, life-saving,” said Ms. Anita Kiki Gbeho, the Humanitarian Coordinator for South Sudan.