Many years of conflict have resulted in displacement, increased rates of food insecurity, limited access to quality basic health and nutrition services, unhygienic environments due to poor access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and continued impediment for prevention of malnutrition in South Sudan. This situation has been exacerbated by extreme weather events, periodic outbreaks of subnational violence, and the global impacts compounded by the ongoing civil war in Sudan which had caused an inflow of more than 100,000 returnees/refugees into South Sudan. Against this background, the world’s youngest nation recognizes the need for a well-coordinated and comprehensive program to reverse this trend. To do so, the country continues to diversify new strategies to address the current food and nutrition security crisis and take proactive steps to prepare for future crises. Challenges realized as a result of poor unprecedented levels of acute food and nutrition insecurity are attributed to:

• Weak public health services are among the main drivers of the high levels of malnutrition. Malaria and acute watery diarrhea are some of the lead causes of malnutrition in children.
• Low coverage of WASH services in the communities and in nutrition sites are a major challenge.
• Low focus on preventative nutrition interventions is an impediment for the reduction of all forms of malnutrition among vulnerable groups.
  The above challenges resulted to than more 1.4 million children under five suffering from acute malnutrition. Among them, 15% children suffering from chronic malnutrition.

Achievement 2024

• Number of children under five screened from malnutrition: 24,437
• Number of children suffering from malnutrition: 12,475
• Number of children treated from malnutrition: 6,539