The United Kingdom has provided 2.8 million US dollars to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP) to help vulnerable communities in South Sudan prepare for climate-related disasters, the two UN agencies announced.
The funding will support early flood preparedness and response activities in Jonglei, Unity and Upper Nile states, where communities face growing threats from floods, drought and other climate-related disasters. According to the UN agencies, the programme will provide early-warning information, cash assistance, livelihood support, community public works and emergency supplies to help families protect their food, livestock and other assets before disasters strike.
The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office’s Development Director in South Sudan, Sebastian Fouquet, said climate shocks are worsening the country’s already difficult humanitarian situation. He said acting on early warnings would help vulnerable families protect their livestock, food supplies and livelihoods while improving their ability to recover from future disasters.
“Climate shocks are worsening South Sudan’s already difficult humanitarian situation,” Fouquet said, stressing that timely action based on early warnings allows families to safeguard the assets they depend on and bounce back more quickly when disasters hit.
WFP Country Director for South Sudan, Mutinta Chimuka, welcomed the contribution, saying early action is essential to prevent predictable climate shocks from turning into humanitarian emergencies. Her remarks underscored the agencies’ view that investing ahead of disasters is far more cost-effective than responding after they occur.
FAO Acting Representative in South Sudan, Felix Dzvurumi, said the support would help farmers, livestock keepers and fishing communities protect their livelihoods and improve food security. The assistance is expected to reach some of the country’s most exposed populations, whose dependence on farming, herding and fishing makes them highly vulnerable to shifting weather patterns.
The programme will run until March 2027 and will also strengthen community-based early-warning systems, flood monitoring and coordination with government authorities. By linking local communities with national monitoring structures, the initiative aims to ensure that warnings reach the people who need them most and that response measures are rolled out quickly and efficiently.
The latest contribution brings the UK’s total funding for El Niño-related early action in South Sudan to more than £2.85 million, including approximately £750,000 allocated to the THRIVE consortium. The initiative aims to help communities prepare for disasters before they happen, reducing losses, protecting livelihoods and limiting future humanitarian needs.
South Sudan has in recent years experienced severe flooding in various parts of the country, displacing hundreds of thousands of people and destroying farmland and grazing areas. The UN agencies have repeatedly warned that without sustained investment in preparedness, recurrent climate shocks will continue to erode communities’ resilience and drive up humanitarian needs across the region.
