South Sudan: Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan 2024 (Issued November 2023)

Foreword

The Humanitarian Country Team (HCT) of South Sudan is committed to a future that sees people being self-reliant. Sadly, evidence-based needs remain high, and the people of South Sudan will continue to require significant support from the international community throughout 2024.

An estimated 9 million people, including refugees in South Sudan, will experience critical needs in 2024. As the HCT, we aim to target 6 million of these people with some form of humanitarian support, depending on the resources available. This means that some people will experience needs that humanitarians cannot respond to. An estimated 7.1 million people will require food assistance during the lean season from April to July 2024, as projected through the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC). Children remain at critical risk of malnutrition, and the IPC projection is that 1.6 million children aged 6 to 59 months are at risk of acute malnutrition, of whom 480,000 are at risk of severe acute malnutrition.

The impact of the Sudan crisis resulted in the arrival of vulnerable population that require assistance, increasing market costs and further stretching people’s coping capacities.

Women and girls remain at risk of gender-based violence (GBV) as they try to undertake their daily activities. Violence, displacement and high levels of deprivation is felt in some parts of the country. People in South Sudan suffer the consequences of development deficit characterized by chronic poverty, lack of livelihoods and limited access to basic social services. South Sudan is one the countries badly affected by climate change. Dry spell and flooding contribute to people’s food insecurity situation.

It is vital that the Government of South Sudan upholds their responsibility to their citizens by providing basic services and protection for all civilians. Protection of civilians remains a concern for some, as the Revitalized Peace Agreement continues to be implemented with elections planned for December 2024.

To meet the needs of the 6 million people targeted in 2024, US$1.8 billion is required. Timely and at-scale funding is required to ensure that the humanitarian response meets people's needs and priorities. Without this support, people's vulnerability risks further deterioration.

The HCT’s two-year strategy, articulated in this document, seeks to maximize opportunities to address people's needs in a collaborative and cooperative way with peace and development actors, leveraging opportunities to address the root causes and drivers of people's needs. The strategy will be reviewed after one year or when the context changes. The HCT works through initiatives, including the Emergency Relief Coordinator (ERC) Flagship Initiative, the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Agenda on Solutions to Internal Displacement, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)-led Pockets of Hope, among others.

I admire the ongoing commitment and dedication of humanitarians who support people in need. We engage with communities to understand and respond based on their needs and priorities in a people-centred approach, embodying the centrality of protection. We commit to a zero-tolerance approach, and commit to the protection from sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA). We dedicate efforts on localization, including capacity-strengthening and partnerships with local organizations. The humanitarian community will do everything possible to support the Government to take leadership to meet people’s needs as enshrined in the social contract with its citizens.

Finally, I acknowledge and appreciate the immense support and generosity of the international community towards the people of South Sudan. The people of South Sudan still require assistance and I call on the international community not to forget them. Your support saves innocent lives.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Marie-Helene Verney
Humanitarian Coordinator ai

Humanitarian Needs Overview

1.1 Country context

In their twelfth year of independence, the people of South Sudan are confronted by formidable challenges marked by conflict in 2013 and 2016, intensifying humanitarian, economic, social and political crises. The 2018 Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS) continues to provide hope for peace. However, sub-national violence persists in some areas, leading to the displacement of people and loss of lives and livelihoods.

The World Bank's Fragile Situations list classified South Sudan as a medium-intensity conflict zone. It ranks 160 of 163 countries in the 2023 Global Peace Index, indicating significant internal conflict and low peace levels.

Traditionally rooted in tribal and pastoralist disputes, intercommunal conflicts persist in many parts of the country. Limited access to remote locations where these incidents occur hampers access to services for affected people. Explosive remnants of war (ERW) contamination, particularly in the southern Greater Equatoria region, pose threats to safe returnee resettlement, agricultural activities and the general safety of the civilian population.

South Sudan grapples with dire economic conditions marked by institutional fragility, economic policy distortions and limited diversification. The effects of conflicts deepen extreme poverty and hamper private sector prospects and livelihood improvements.

Despite hopes for an oil-led recovery after the 2018 truce and resumed oil production, COVID-19, sub-national violence, flooding and structural hurdles significantly impacted economic progress.

South Sudan relies on oil exports, which comprise 95 per cent of its exports and are the primary national revenue source. Inflation, currency depreciation and limited diversification are significant economic challenges. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated these issues, causing a sharp oil price drop, income loss, severe currency devaluation and soaring inflation, which the country has yet to recover from. In addition, global trends, including pandemic-induced supply shortages, rising United States dollar (USD) denominated commodity prices and a stronger USD impact the economy significantly.

South Sudan's reliance on imports for consumer goods faces a persistent balance of payments deficits and limites hard currency access beyond oil exports. As of 31 August 2023, the South Sudanese pound (SSP) had depreciated against the USD by 50 per cent since the beginning of 2023. The timeline of events and season of events can be found at: bit.ly/47pqXng