WFP Begins Emergency Food Airdrops to 40,000 in Upper Nile

(MALAKAL) – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has resumed food aid deliveries by air to parts of Upper Nile State in South Sudan, where more than 40,000 people are facing extreme hunger after months of violent conflict. This marks the first time in four months that the WFP has been able to reach the region with life-saving supplies.

The airdrops come following growing concerns of an imminent famine, with the WFP warning that conditions on the ground have deteriorated rapidly due to the ongoing fighting between government forces and armed opposition groups. These clashes have displaced thousands of people, destroyed farms and homes and disrupted essential transport routes.

Mary-Ellen McGroarty, the WFP’s Country Director for South Sudan, said the situation is becoming increasingly dire.

“Livelihoods have been destroyed, people have been displaced, and now people are at a real risk of famine because of the conflict,” she said. She described the airdrops as “crucial and critical to bring people back from the brink of famine.”

The WFP estimates that more than one million people in Upper Nile are facing “acute hunger.” Among them, at least 32,000 are already experiencing what the agency classifies as “catastrophic levels of hunger,” the most severe phase of food insecurity, where people have exhausted all coping mechanisms.

The conflict in Upper Nile has intensified in recent months, with government troops clashing with armed groups opposed to the administration of President Salva Kiir. These developments have triggered renewed fears that the country may slip back into full scale civil war. The last civil conflict, from 2013 to 2018, left an estimated 400,000 people dead and millions displaced.

The WFP says that continued fighting is blocking road and river access to many areas, forcing the agency to rely on expensive and logistically challenging air operations. The disrupted supply chains have also led to significant delays in reaching displaced communities with urgently needed assistance.

Despite the challenges, the WFP has mobilised resources to begin deliveries to the most affected areas. Aid planes, including those operated by Fogbow, began transporting food from Juba on Monday, 9 June 2025. The organisation continues to appeal for more funding to maintain and expand the relief operation across the country.

Aid agencies are warning that without an immediate and sustained humanitarian response, South Sudan could witness a famine on a scale not seen in years. They are calling on all parties to ensure safe humanitarian access and to allow aid workers to reach the most vulnerable populations.

Hunger Statistics in Upper Nile (as of June 2025)