Multitudes of Sudanese refugees flooded into South Sudan, exceeding 500,000
In the heart of Africa, South Sudan is grappling with a significant humanitarian crisis, exacerbated by the ongoing conflict in neighbouring Sudan. The eruption of the conflict in April 2023 has sent ripples across the region, particularly affecting South Sudan's refugee population and humanitarian situation.
**Population Growth and Infrastructure Strain** Since the onset of the Sudan conflict, South Sudan has witnessed an influx of refugees and returnees, with over 1 million people seeking shelter within its borders[2]. This influx is expected to grow further, with an additional 337,000 refugees anticipated by 2025[2]. The surge in population has led to rapid growth in border areas and transit centres, placing immense pressure on already fragile infrastructure.
**Economic Instability and Food Insecurity** The influx of refugees has compounded South Sudan's economic instability, which is already affected by ongoing conflict, recurrent flooding, droughts, and food production losses. The returnees often settle in climate-affected regions, worsening food insecurity. As a result, about 7.7 million people in South Sudan face crisis-level hunger or worse during the 2025 lean season[2][3]. The high population growth, combined with limited resources, has escalated the cost of living and strained essential services like healthcare and clean water. Furthermore, land ownership disputes and lack of civil documentation among returnees hinder their reintegration and access to economic opportunities or secure housing[2].
**Urgent Humanitarian Needs** The humanitarian crisis has reached catastrophic levels. Refugees arrive with nothing and face dire conditions, including acute hunger, disease outbreaks—most notably a cholera epidemic that has caused over 70,000 cases and 1,000 deaths[1][3]—and growing insecurity[1]. Malnutrition is widespread among refugee children and vulnerable populations[1]. The situation has overwhelmed humanitarian agencies, with responses severely underfunded and insufficient, jeopardizing the provision of life-saving assistance such as food, clean water, sanitation, healthcare, and education[1][3]. Women and girls are especially at risk of gender-based violence and exploitation amid these hardships[2].
**Disrupted Supply Routes and Economic Impact** The crisis in Sudan has disrupted supply routes and oil exports in South Sudan, leading to rising inflation and a weakened economy[1]. Essential goods prices, including food, have skyrocketed in South Sudan, making the integration of new arrivals even more challenging[1].
**Internal Displacement and the Year 2024** In addition to the refugee crisis, approximately two million South Sudanese are internally displaced[1]. The year 2024 brought unprecedented challenges to South Sudan, with the crisis showing no signs of abating. As of before April 2023, there were 275,000 refugees in South Sudan[1].
The situation in South Sudan is critical, with the country struggling to cope with the influx of refugees, economic instability, and the urgent need for humanitarian aid. The international community must act swiftly and decisively to prevent further deterioration of the crisis.
- As the conflict in Sudan escalates, politics and general news coverage have become increasingly centered around war-and-conflicts, as the humanitarian crisis in South Sudan worsens due to the influx of refugees and returnees, compounding economic instability and food insecurity.
- The ongoing crisis in South Sudan necessitates urgent global attention, given the expanding war-and-conflicts in the region, leading to a strained political landscape and growing general news focus on the mounting humanitarian needs in the country, as the situation threatens to spiral further out of control.
