From Crisis Response to System Reform: Reframing Nutrition Action in South Sudan

Malnutrition in South Sudan remains a persistent public health concern, with rates of acute malnutrition continuing to exceed the WHO emergency thresholds. In 2025, worsening food insecurity, conflict, and systemic health service disruptions have intensified the nutrition crisis, particularly among children under five and pregnant or breastfeeding women.

Undernutrition is a condition that affects individuals across all age groups. In children, it leads to wasting, stunting, and micronutrient deficiencies—resulting in increased morbidity, mortality, and impaired development. Among adolescents, it hampers physical growth and cognitive potential. In adults, particularly women of reproductive age, it contributes to adverse pregnancy outcomes and reduced labor productivity. Among the elderly, undernutrition increases susceptibility to infection, impairs recovery from illness, and accelerates loss of functional capacity.

Undernutrition is therefore a crosscutting issue, with impacts that extend beyond health to education, livelihoods, and national development outcomes. This factsheet provides an overview of the current nutrition situation in South Sudan, highlights the key drivers of malnutrition, and outlines priority actions for an effective nutrition response.

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