Funding Shortfalls Threaten 1.9 Million Displaced People in South Sudan

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Funding Shortfalls Threaten 1.9 Million Displaced People in South Sudan

Funding gaps are placing the lives of more than 1.9 million displaced people in South Sudan at heightened risk, as humanitarian needs continue to rise across the country, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

In a statement issued Wednesday, IOM warned that severe underfunding is constraining life-saving assistance, including shelter, clean water, sanitation services, healthcare access, and emergency protection for internally displaced persons (IDPs) and vulnerable returnees.

A Growing Humanitarian Crisis

South Sudan continues to grapple with a complex combination of:

Intercommunal violence and insecurity
Climate shocks, including severe flooding
Food insecurity and malnutrition
Economic instability

These overlapping pressures have forced millions from their homes, leaving communities increasingly dependent on humanitarian support.

However, IOM reports that current funding levels fall significantly short of operational needs, forcing difficult prioritisation decisions that may leave some communities without critical aid. Without urgent financial support, access to safe shelter may deteriorate, waterborne diseases could increase due to inadequate sanitation, malnutrition rates may worsen, and protection services for women and children could be reduced. Humanitarian actors warn that delayed intervention often results in higher long-term costs both financial and human.

The crisis in South Sudan has broader implications for East Africa. Displacement patterns affect cross-border migration flows, strain host communities, and place pressure on regional humanitarian systems.

For development partners, the funding shortfall highlights a recurring challenge: bridging the gap between emergency relief and long-term resilience investment. Sustained underfunding risks reversing fragile development gains and prolonging dependency cycles.

Call for International Support

IOM is urging donors, development partners, and the international community to urgently mobilise resources to address immediate humanitarian needs while supporting longer-term recovery and stabilisation efforts.

As global crises compete for limited funding, agencies warn that overlooked emergencies such as South Sudan risk deepening into preventable humanitarian catastrophes. Failure to act early increases long-term economic, security, and social costs across fragile regions.

Credits:
Statement and reporting based on updates from the International Organization for Migration.