WFP Scales Up Aid to South Sudan’s Akobo as Catastrophic Hunger Worsens Amid Conflict

The United Nations World Food Programme has scaled up its emergency response in Akobo East, South Sudan, delivering food and nutrition assistance to hundreds of thousands of people facing catastrophic hunger and malnutrition. AllAfrica reported on 2 June 2026 that parts of Akobo County are experiencing IPC Phase 5 (Catastrophe).

The latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification update projects 97,000 people facing IPC Phase 3 (Crisis), 85,000 facing IPC Phase 4 (Emergency), and 12,000 facing IPC Phase 5 (Catastrophe) through July.

The malnutrition crisis has worsened to IPC Acute Malnutrition Phase 5 (Extremely Critical). Ongoing conflict has displaced approximately 142,000 individuals from Akobo County and surrounding areas, with 100,000 having crossed into neighbouring Ethiopia. The collapse of local markets due to conflict and looting has restricted access to food supplies.

WFP launched its emergency response three weeks before 2 June 2026. Since then, the agency has reached more than 60,000 vulnerable people. More than 15,000 people received emergency food assistance, close to 6,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women received nutrition commodities, and over 30,000 people received High Energy Biscuits.

More than 6,000 children and pregnant and breastfeeding women received specialized nutritious foods under a blanket supplementary feeding programme. WFP and partners conducted nutrition screenings for 15,000 children and admitted 3,000 children with moderate acute malnutrition. 5 metric tons to frontline warehouses.

The agency transported 300 metric tons of mixed commodities for general food assistance and nutrition to Akobo by air. A 33-truck convoy from WFP and the Logistics Cluster is scheduled to deliver over 200 metric tons of food assistance, nutrition supplies, and 100 metric tons of relief items by the end of this week. This may be the final road convoy before heavy rains render key roads impassable.

WFP Aviation has conducted more than 60 flights, including airdrops, airlifts, and UNHAS passenger flights, transporting 430 metric tons of critical assistance. UNHAS has transported more than 200 aid workers into and out of the Akobo area. WFP is increasing UNHAS flights to three times per week.

"The situation is critical and demands immediate attention to save lives of people who desperately need assistance," said Mutinta Chimuka, WFP Country Director in South Sudan. "Our hope is to continue to reach people in need. " WFP urgently requires US$266 million to continue life-saving food and nutrition assistance as well as support to the humanitarian community in South Sudan in 2026.