Women Most Vulnerable to Food Price Shock in South Sudan

(JUBA) – South Sudan Faces Highest Food Insecurity Risk as Middle East Crisis Pushes 11.7 Million More Women and Girls into Hunger

An additional 11.7 million women and girls could face food insecurity by the end of 2026. The escalation in the Middle East and disruption to the Strait of Hormuz are driving up food prices and straining household resources.

According to a new analysis by UN Women, women and girls account for 53% of the projected 22 million additional people who could face food insecurity by the end of the year across 28 countries. This is in addition to an estimated 208 million women and girls who were already food insecure or undernourished in these countries. The figures are scenario-based estimates, not forecasts.

The report is titled “Food security risks of the Middle East escalation for women and girls.”

South Sudan faces the highest proportional risk among all countries analysed. The additional number of women and girls who could face food insecurity represents around 14%, or one in seven, of the South Sudanese female population. Lebanon has the second-highest proportion, at nearly 4% of its female population.

UN Women Deputy Executive Director Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda said women eat less and last when food becomes scarce.

“We know, as a matter of fact, that when food becomes scarce, women eat less and last. They often shift to less nutritious diets or skip meals altogether to prioritize the needs of others,” Ms Gumbonzvanda said. “Gender inequalities dictate who has access to food and the resources to obtain it. Therefore, investing in women and girls is a sure way of ensuring the well-being of families and communities.”

Disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz are driving up energy, fertiliser and transport costs. These rising costs push up food prices. Combined with potential income and livelihood losses, food could become harder to afford.

For many women, existing inequalities in employment and access to financial services leave them with fewer resources to absorb these shocks.

More populous countries were found to have the largest numbers of women and girls who could face food insecurity. However, countries such as South Sudan, Sudan, Haiti, Yemen and Palestine face more concentrated risks. Multiple sources of vulnerability overlap in these countries.

In many countries, women and girls make up a higher proportion of people who could face food insecurity. According to UN Women, in Afghanistan, women and girls are estimated to make up 60% of people who could face food insecurity. In Yemen, the figure is more than 57%. In Sudan, it is nearly 56%.

Employment also affects food security. In Egypt, Iraq, Palestine, Sudan and Syria, around 80% of women are outside the labour force. In Afghanistan and Yemen, this rises to around 95%, UN Women reported. Among employed women, more than 80% are in vulnerable employment in Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Haiti, Mali and South Sudan.

According to the UN Women analysis, access to financial services could provide a buffer. However, many women lack access to these services. In Iraq, Lebanon, Pakistan and Yemen, fewer than one in five women owns a bank or mobile money account.

This can limit women’s ability to save, receive remittances or cash assistance, or borrow safely when prices rise or incomes fall. It also increases reliance on informal lenders, relatives or other household members. This can put their safety and protection at risk.

UN Women calls for an integrated response. It should combine food and cash assistance with nutrition, protection, livelihoods and agricultural support. It should also ensure women can access land, credit, services and other productive assets.

The agency also urged resources to be targeted to places where women and girls face multiple, overlapping risks. Support should be delivered at the right time, including ahead of agricultural seasons.

UN Women called for better data to identify where food insecurity is worsening. This includes data on who is eating less, losing livelihoods, taking on more unpaid care work, or facing heightened nutrition and protection risks within households.