South Sudan's refugee and asylum-seeker population reached 2,487,966 people as of 31 August 2026, according to data published by UNHCR on its Operational Data Portal. Uganda alone hosts 1,044,679 South Sudanese, accounting for 42.0% of the total — more than any other country.

Where are South Sudanese refugees hosted?

Five countries carry almost the entire caseload:

• Uganda — 1,044,679 (42.0%)
• Sudan — 685,744 (27.6%)
• Ethiopia — 483,654 (19.5%)
• Kenya — 213,122 (8.6%)
• Democratic Republic of the Congo — 57,188 (2.3%)

Together they account for 99.4% of the 2.49 million total. Data comes from national authorities and UNHCR country offices.

How has the crisis evolved?

South Sudan became independent in 2011. Civil war broke out two years later. The portal's time series tracks the refugee count rising from near zero in 2014 to past two million by 2020.

In February 2020, UNHCR counted 2.2 million South Sudanese refugees abroad and 1.46 million people internally displaced. Both figures have since grown.

UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi addressed the situation when a unity government formed in Juba. "The new government revives hope for a peaceful future for the people of South Sudan," Grandi said. "Millions of South Sudanese — including refugees and internally displaced people — deserve to see an end to their miseries."

How wide is the funding gap?

The 2025 Regional Refugee Response Plan appealed for $1,208,298,992. By 20 August 2025, donors had pledged $217,704,593. That left an unfunded gap of $990,594,399, or 82% of the appeal.

That shortfall shapes health, education and food security programmes across the five host countries.

What role do host governments play?

Uganda runs one of Africa's most generous asylum regimes. In August 2019, the Uganda Communications Commission issued a directive easing refugees' access to SIM cards.

UNHCR's Boutroue welcomed the move. "The new directive will enable the majority of refugees to legally access SIM cards and ease communication with families and also with UNHCR through the refugee helpline," he said.

Kenya, Ethiopia, Sudan and the DRC also host large South Sudanese populations under their own refugee laws. In 2019 the East and Horn of Africa and Great Lakes region granted protection to 220,000 people, lifting its caseload to 4.7 million.

What documents has UNHCR released?

The portal lists the South Sudan Situation Population Dashboard for 31 August 2026, posted on 25 September 2026. Three UNHCR External Updates cover May, June and July 2026. The 2024 Regional Refugee Response Plan appeared in March 2024.

These documents feed into meetings run by the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development, which tracks the Nairobi Declaration on durable solutions.

What changes for affected people?

For South Sudanese abroad, the legal pathway has not shifted in this data update. Asylum claims continue under each host country's national law, with UNHCR registering and documenting new arrivals.

Return decisions depend on conditions inside South Sudan. In May 2020 UNHCR reported more than 8 million people internally displaced across the East and Horn of Africa and Great Lakes region.

Anyone needing current case information should consult UNHCR's country pages for Uganda, Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya and the DRC, or Uganda's Office of the Prime Minister Refugee Information Management System.