Food Insecurity in

South Sudan

South Sudan is no longer experiencing famine. But has food security in the East African nation improved?

For four months in 2017, South Sudan became the first country since 2012 to experience famine. Severe food shortages led to the declaration of famine in the war-torn nation’s Unity State. Now, the entire population has fallen below the famine threshold, but the situation remains dire. More than half the country’s 12 million people face critical food shortages, and 1.73 million people remain at risk of acute malnutrition, starvation and death.

May 2017
June/July 2017
20,000 people experienced famine
1.5 million people experienced food emergency
4.02 million people experienced food crisis
4.03 million people experienced food stress
2.32 million people experienced minimal food insecurity
45,000 people experiencing humanitarian catastrophe
1.69 million people experiencing food emergency
4.35 million people experiencing food crisis
3.62 million people experiencing food stress
2.19 million people experiencing minimal food insecurity

Famine vs. Catastrophe

From February until May 2017, thousands of people in two counties in South Sudan experienced famine. In June, FEWS NET declared that the country’s entire population had dropped below the threshold for famine. But it also noted substantial increases in the numbers of people experiencing food emergencies and catastrophes.

Three precise standards must be met for famine to have occurred in a given area:

  1. 1. At least 20 percent of households experience an extreme lack of food.
  2. 2. More than 30 percent of people experience acute malnutrition.
  3. 3. At least two people per 10,000 die each day.

Famine applies to a geographic area, and catastrophe applies to households in an area. A catastrophe can occur without famine when acute malnutrition and increased mortality affect less than 20 percent of households.

May 2017
June/July 2017
20,000 people experienced famine
1.495 million people experienced food emergency
45,000 people experiencing humanitarian catastrophe
1.685 million people experiencing food emergency