Flooding in South Sudan has affected 1.4 million people and displaced over 379,000, with aid agencies warning of a malaria surge overwhelming healthcare services, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). The flooding, described as the worst in decades, has particularly impacted the northern regions and the disputed Abyei area, shared by Sudan and South Sudan.
The severe weather crisis has led to widespread disease, with malaria cases spiking in several states and further straining the nation’s fragile health infrastructure. South Sudan, the world’s youngest country, remains acutely vulnerable to climate change, facing recurring cycles of drought and flood since its independence in 2011.
According to the World Bank, the current floods are worsening a dire humanitarian landscape, exacerbated by food insecurity, economic challenges, and the influx of refugees fleeing conflict in neighboring Sudan. Over seven million South Sudanese are food insecure, and 1.65 million children are malnourished, according to the World Food Programme.
Politically, South Sudan is grappling with instability as President Salva Kiir’s office extended the transitional period from a 2018 peace agreement, delaying elections to December 2026. The delay has frustrated international partners and the United Nations, with UN envoy Nicholas Haysom calling it a “regrettable development.” Haysom urged leaders to make this extension the last, to finally deliver on promises of peace and democratic progress.
The country, though rich in oil, has seen revenue cut sharply since February when an export pipeline was damaged in Sudan, further straining its economy amidst the ongoing crisis.
