South Sudan South Sudan: Climate-resilient agricultural livelihoods, Project update

Context

South Sudan faces an escalating food crisis, driven by ongoing conflict, frequent climate shocks and economic instability. These overlapping challenges have deepened food insecurity across the country, putting millions at risk and straining already limited resources. Despite only 4 percent of the country’s land being arable and cultivable, agriculture plays a vital role in the economy, contributing 10 percent of the gross domestic product and supporting 80 percent of the rural population. South Sudan seeks to diversify its economy away from oil, a necessity amplified by the ongoing conflict in the Sudan. However, the reliance on traditional, rainfed farming practices leaves agriculture vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. During the 2024 lean season, approximately 7.1 million people faced high levels of acute food insecurity (Integrated Food Security Phase Classification [IPC] Phase 3 or worse), mainly driven by conflict, poverty and the impacts of climate change on agricultural livelihoods. Severe flooding in 2024 has worsened the cereal gap and increased malnutrition rates. Over the past two decades, climate change has reduced cereal yields by between 11 and 26 percent, with further declines of 17 to 25 percent projected by 2050.

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