UNHCR: New, deadly floods displace over 100,000 in South Sudan; conflict and funding cuts impede aid

South Sudan has been swept into a new cycle of severe flooding, just as renewed conflict threatens a fragile peace, leaving communities in some of the country's most flood- and conflict-prone states exposed to a double crisis, warns UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency.

In recent weeks, rising waters have submerged vast areas in Jonglei, Upper Nile, and Unity states, displacing 100,000 people, many of whom have already been forced to flee their homes due to renewed conflict since February 2025. This is a stark indication of how people forced to flee are at the forefront of the impact of extreme weather. The situation is of particular concern as many of these areas are already experiencing critical levels of food insecurity and still suffering the consequences of devastating floods in 2022.

If the flooding continues, up to 400,000 people are likely to be displaced by the end of the year, exceeding flood displacement levels seen in 2024. Peak impacts are expected between September and October, threatening to cut off entire communities, exacerbate hunger and heighten protection risks, particularly for women and girls.

Homes, schools and health facilities have been flooded, along with farmlands and pasture, devastating livestock. Safe water sources and latrines have also been inundated, worsening sanitation and increasing health risks. Stagnant water, combined with poor sanitation and limited access to safe drinking water, is increasing the risk of further disease outbreaks in addition to the existing cholera outbreak, which had infected over 12,000 internally displaced people and 3,100 refugees as of the end of August.

This year, together with authorities and UN partners, UNHCR is prioritizing life-saving assistance for up to 150,000 of the most vulnerable flood-affected people. This includes money, emergency shelter assistance and plastic sheeting for families whose homes have been damaged. UNHCR is also providing water pumps and rehabilitating dykes to help drain floodwaters.

However, resources for the response remain perilously low. With current funding, UNHCR can only assist a third of the people likely to be displaced by the floods this year. In Unity State, which is 70 per cent underwater, UNHCR has significantly scaled down operations due to the funding shortfall, leaving thousands of displaced people in a more precarious situation.

For the past five years, UNHCR has worked closely with the hardest-hit communities to strengthen their resilience and help them adapt to recurring climate shocks. We have assisted in reconstructing and reinforcing dykes in sites hosting displaced people, including refugees, established maintenance committees, prepositioned essential supplies, and supported livelihoods by providing canoes. While these efforts have helped mitigate impacts and contain what could otherwise be an even larger disaster, they remain insufficient in the face of escalating extreme weather events and dwindling funding.

UNHCR urgently appeals for increased international support to prevent this worsening crisis from spiralling further. Without additional funding, the ability to provide shelter, protection, clean water, and basic dignity to those already devastated by floods will remain severely constrained. As of 31 July, UNHCR had only received a third of the nearly $300 million required to protect and assist the forcibly displaced and local host communities in the country, including the over 1.2 million people who have arrived in the country fleeing war in neighbouring Sudan more than two years ago.

South Sudan remains one of the largest displacement crises in Africa, with nearly 2.4 million South Sudanese refugees in neighbouring countries, and an estimated 2 million people internally displaced within the country, which also hosts over 589,000 refugees.

Media contacts

For more information, please contact:

• In Juba, Carla Calvo, [email protected], +211 927 141 812
• In Nairobi (regional), Faith Kasina, [email protected], +254 113 427 094
• In Geneva, Olga Sarrado, [email protected], +41 79 740 2307

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