Norway is providing US$2.5 million in emergency humanitarian aid to people affected by hunger in South Sudan.
A press release on Friday quoted Norwegian Minister for International Development Åsmund Grøver Aukrust acknowledging the severity of hunger in South Sudan.
“’The situation in South Sudan is very serious. Over half the population is affected by hunger and food insecurity. As many as 83,000 people are now living in famine-like conditions,” Aukrust said.
The influx of over one million refugees from Sudan due to war, combined with a resurgence of internal conflict in South Sudan, has made the situation critical in parts of the country.
The extremely dire humanitarian situation in South Sudan, the press release noted, is the result of a politically driven crisis.
The situation is further worsened by South Sudanese authorities obstructing effective delivery of humanitarian aid by imposing restrictions that violate humanitarian principles.
So many people were reportedly already starving at the start of the rainy season. In previous years, conditions have worsened as the rains led to severe flooding, which in turn affected crops and food availability. At the same time, many countries were contributing less to humanitarian support than before.
As of July 9, Norway’s total humanitarian aid to South Sudan for 2025 amounted to US$145.8 million (NOK 147.7m). About half the amount is channeled through the UN system and the Red Cross movement (IOM, ICRC, the UN’s humanitarian country-based pooled fund, and WFP).
The other half is allocated to Norwegian humanitarian organizations active in South Sudan: the Norwegian Refugee Council, Norwegian Church Aid, Norwegian People’s Aid, and Caritas. WFP is the largest humanitarian organization in the world working to save lives and combat hunger. The WFP provides food aid in emergencies and supports long-term efforts to ensure food security and development.
