IOM Highlights Urgent Need to Address Protracted Displacement in South Sudan
International Organization for Migration
News - Global
07 November 2025
Geneva/Juba, 7 November 2025 -- During a week-long visit to South Sudan, Deputy Director General for Management and Reform of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), SungAh Lee, underscored the scale and complexity of displacement affecting millions across the country. She called for sustained attention to the plight of internally displaced people and returnees and emphasized the need for durable solutions that ensure safety, dignity, and stability for affected communities.
"What I have seen in South Sudan reflects both the immense challenges of displacement and the resilience of the people determined to rebuild their lives," said DDG SungAh Lee. "Communities that have been uprooted time and again continue to show extraordinary strength and solidarity. They want more than just relief - they want the chance to return home safely, to send their children to school, and to regain their sense of belonging. Supporting them means not only meeting urgent needs but also laying the groundwork for peace, recovery, and opportunity."
South Sudan remains one of the world's most displacement-affected countries, with over 9.3 million people in need of humanitarian assistance, nearly 2 million internally displaced, and more than 1.3 million people arriving from Sudan since April 2023.
During her visit, DDG Lee met with government officials and UN partners, and visited communities affected by displacement in Malakal, near the Sudan border, and Bentiu, where long-term displacement and seasonal flooding continue to affect residents.
In Malakal, she met newly arrived returnees from Sudan and saw firsthand the critical assistance IOM provides, including medical screenings, vaccinations, safe onward transportation, and other essential services. In Bentiu, she saw communities taking steps toward lasting recovery, with families returning home, restoring services, and rebuilding their houses.
Across the country, years of conflict, cyclical flooding, and the spillover from the crisis in neighbouring Sudan have deepened humanitarian needs. For many displaced families, repeated shocks have eroded coping capacities, leaving them dependent on assistance and uncertain about their future.
Following these field visits, DDG Lee held meetings in Juba with senior government and UN officials to strengthen alignment between humanitarian aid and longer-term recovery and development efforts. She also met with IOM South Sudan staff during a town hall, commending their commitment to supporting communities through ongoing displacement and recovery efforts.
Her visit comes as South Sudan continues to face the ripple effects of conflict in neighbouring Sudan, prolonged internal displacement, and severe funding shortages, with the Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan only 31 per cent funded. These gaps are limiting lifesaving assistance and slowing progress toward durable solutions for displaced and host communities alike.
The visit coincided with the Second World Summit for Social Development held from 4 to 6 November in Doha, where IOM co-led with the Global Solutions Hub a high-level side event on transitions from aid to recovery. The discussions reinforced the importance of people-centred approaches that promote peace, stability, and inclusive development - principles that underpin IOM's efforts in South Sudan to help communities recover and rebuild their lives.
Under the UN Secretary-General's Action Agenda on Internal Displacement, South Sudan was selected as a pilot country to advance practical solutions for internally displaced people. In 2025, IOM is leading coordination efforts with UNDP and UNHCR to support government-led and development-focused planning to end displacement.
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