Muscat: A deepening hunger crisis in South Sudan has pushed 7.8 million people into high levels of acute food insecurity between April and July 2026, UN agencies reported today. According to Oman News Agency, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Food Programme, and UNICEF stated in the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification report that the figure represents 56 percent of the population - among the highest levels of acute food insecurity recorded globally. Some 73,300 people are facing 'catastrophe' - Phase 5, the most severe level - a massive 160 percent increase from previous estimates. Another 2.5 million are in 'emergency' (Phase 4), while 5.3 million are in 'crisis' (Phase 3). The agencies attributed the crisis to escalating conflict, mass displacement, economic deterioration, climate shocks, floods, and below-normal agricultural production - all limiting food availability and restricting households' ability to secure enough food. The Integrated Food Security Phase Clas sification is a global initiative involving UN agencies, regional partners, and relief organizations, ranking food insecurity in five phases, the most severe of which is famine.