(JUBA) – The South Sudan Humanitarian Fund continued to finance emergency relief operations across the country in 2025 despite a decline in donor contributions, according to a new annual report released by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
The report said South Sudan remained affected by conflict, displacement, disease outbreaks, flooding and other climate related pressures during the year. Humanitarian agencies also faced growing strain from the impact of the war in neighbouring Sudan, which continued to increase movement of refugees and returnees into South Sudan.
Against this background, the South Sudan Humanitarian Fund remained one of the main sources of emergency financing for aid operations across the country. The fund provided rapid support to humanitarian organisations delivering assistance to communities facing severe food shortages, health emergencies and displacement.
According to the report, the fund allocated US$44.8 million, equivalent to about SSP259.8 billion at the June 2026 market exchange rate of SSP5,800 per US dollar. The funding was distributed through one standard allocation and five reserve allocations during the year.
The allocations supported 103 humanitarian projects implemented by 57 aid organisations operating across South Sudan. The projects focused on health services, nutrition support, water and sanitation programmes, food security, livelihoods, protection services, emergency shelter and household supplies.
Humanitarian agencies said the interventions were designed to reach about 5.22 million people across the country. The projects contributed to direct humanitarian assistance for an estimated 1.8 million people in 20 counties located in six states.
The report said the fund continued efforts to increase support for local organisations involved in humanitarian operations. About 45 per cent of total funding was allocated directly to national non governmental organisations, while women led organisations received 28 per cent of the funding.
Aid officials said strengthening local organisations remained important for improving emergency response capacity in South Sudan, especially in remote areas where international access can be difficult during periods of insecurity or flooding.
The report also noted that investments were made in partner training, accountability systems and risk management procedures to improve the effectiveness of humanitarian operations and ensure better use of limited donor resources.
Despite these efforts, the fund recorded a significant decline in donor contributions during the year. The South Sudan Humanitarian Fund received US$32.4 million in contributions in 2025, equivalent to about SSP187.9 billion. This represented the lowest annual funding level recorded since 2020.
The reduction in donor support came at a time when humanitarian needs in South Sudan remained high due to conflict, economic hardship, disease outbreaks and climate related emergencies affecting vulnerable communities in several parts of the country.
Humanitarian agencies said the funding gap forced aid organisations to prioritise the most urgent needs and focus available resources on areas facing the highest levels of vulnerability.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said the fund maintained strict operational oversight and financial controls during the year to maximise the impact of available resources.
The report reflects continuing concern among humanitarian agencies about long term financing for emergency operations in South Sudan as donor budgets face increasing pressure from multiple global crises.