• UN report highlights systematic corruption in South Sudan's government.
• Billions diverted from public funds exacerbate severe food insecurity.
• Investigation details involvement of Vice President and linked companies.
• Most citizens face dire humanitarian conditions amid government mismanagement.
• Only a fraction of oil revenue has reached essential services.

The United Nations has announced that South Sudanese authorities have engaged in systematic corruption, redirecting billions in public funds for personal gain, as detailed in a comprehensive report released on September 16, 2025. The report from the UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan claims that authorities have exploited the nation’s resources, contributing to a profound humanitarian crisis where the majority of the population now faces food insecurity. "Corruption is killing South Sudanese," the report states, indicating that this is not merely incidental but a driving force behind the country's decline, according to Reuters and Al Jazeera.

Since its independence in 2011, South Sudan has experienced rampant corruption, resulting in limited public investment in essential services such as education and healthcare. The country's leaders allegedly utilized schemes to misappropriate significant sums of revenue, amounting to “more than $25 billion in oil revenues,” which could have funded crucial infrastructure and social services. Yasmin Sooka, the commission's chair, noted, “South Sudan is not a poor country; it’s a plundered nation,” according to Africa News and Africa News.

The report reveals that significant funds, specifically $1.7 billion allocated to the "Oil for Roads" program intended for infrastructural development, were not utilized as planned, with approximately 95% of the roads meant to be constructed remaining incomplete. Most financial resources have instead benefited a select group of elites close to the government, particularly those associated with Vice President Benjamin Bol Mel. Despite the extensive findings, the South Sudanese government has dismissed the report’s allegations, labeling them as absurd and containing methodological errors, as stated in reports from both Reuters and Al Jazeera.

As humanitarian conditions deteriorate, around 7.7 million people are acutely food insecure, with the UN categorizing this crisis as "near-record levels" of hunger. The governmental allocations towards public services remain drastically low, underscoring a severe disconnect between the funding available from oil revenues and the actual support provided to the population. The World Food Programme reports that 76 of the country’s 79 counties are experiencing severe food insecurity, highlighting a critical need for substantial changes in revenue allocation, according to Africa News.