The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Albino Atak Akol, has warned that South Sudan is on the verge of a major humanitarian disaster.
The country is grappling with a rising tide of refugees and returnees fleeing conflict in Sudan, as well as the looming threat of severe flooding, which is expected to displace thousands across several states.
Akol reported the impending catastrophe while briefing President Salva Kiir at the State House in Juba on Wednesday.
He painted a grim picture of the country’s humanitarian landscape, citing a rapidly increasing number of refugees and returnees pouring into South Sudanese territory, many of them arriving with nothing but the clothes on their backs.
The influx, Akol said, is stretching already limited resources in border regions and reception centers, and placing immense pressure on host communities.
Unprecedented influx from Sudan
Since the eruption of full-scale conflict in Sudan in April 2023, South Sudan has witnessed a dramatic surge in cross-border movement.
In mid-2025, over 800,000 people, both Sudanese refugees and South Sudanese returnees, have entered the country through border points in Renk, Aweil, Parieng, and other entry points on the borders.
Many of them are arriving in extremely vulnerable conditions, with no access to food, shelter, or medical care.
“We are seeing mothers carrying malnourished children, families sleeping in the open, and elderly people left behind because they can’t walk the long distances. The humanitarian strain is unbearable, and it’s only getting worse,” Akol said.
The majority of these displaced populations are settling in already fragile host communities that lack basic infrastructure, clean water, and sanitation facilities.
Humanitarian agencies, already underfunded, are struggling to meet the growing demand for assistance.
Looming flood disaster
As if the refugee crisis were not enough, the country now faces another deadly threat, seasonal flooding.
According to the meteorological forecasts, Minister Akol cautioned that this year’s rainy season could be particularly destructive, especially in flood-prone states like Unity, Lakes, Northern Bahr el Ghazal, and Western Equatoria States.
“The peak of the crisis will hit between September and October, when many parts of the country could be submerged. We expect widespread displacement, damage to farms and livestock, and a potential public health emergency due to waterborne diseases,” he stated.
The Ministry, in coordination with other government agencies, is initiating preparedness efforts, including the construction of dikes and water channels to redirect excess water.
However, Akol stressed that these measures are insufficient without strong international support.
On his part, President Kiir, reaffirmed his government’s commitment to respond decisively, directing all relevant ministries to fast-track emergency policies and appealed to humanitarian partners and donors to scale up their interventions.