The Humanitarian Country Team (HCT) in South Sudan, which coordinates aid agencies in the country, expressed deep concern on Monday regarding an order issued by South Sudan’s People’s Defense Forces on Friday. The order demanded that civilians, the UN peacekeeping mission, UN agencies, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) vacate Akobo County in Jonglei State, in the country’s east, ahead of military operations.
Briefing journalists in New York on Monday, UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric stressed that, as of today, UN "peacekeepers are maintaining their presence in Akobo and continuing to carry out their mandated tasks."
Since the escalation of conflict at the end of December 2025, the opposition-held town of Akobo and the wider county in Jonglei State have become a refuge for people fleeing violence throughout the state. Akobo is currently hosting an estimated 270,000 people, many of whom rely on humanitarian assistance to survive. More than half of those in need are women and children.
Last month, humanitarian organizations scaled up life-saving assistance for displaced people and host communities. Disruption to this assistance is already placing thousands at immediate risk.
The HCT warns that any military action in or around Akobo, a densely populated area, would endanger civilians and could lead to a catastrophic humanitarian crisis. According to aid agencies, people are fleeing Akobo for Ethiopia’s Gambella region.
“We have already seen substantial cross border flows of people into Ethiopia and received reports of looting in Akobo town,” Monday’s statement said.
Protecting civilians, civilian infrastructure, humanitarian personnel, and supplies is paramount
The HCT reiterates that civilians must never be targeted or forcibly displaced. Any movement must be voluntary, safe, and dignified, and must adhere to international humanitarian law, which strictly prohibits attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure.
In addition, there are reports of looting in Akobo town, including at the main hospital, which provides critical services to the community. Aid workers report that some patients were relocated to the South Sudanese capital, Juba, and that medical staff left the hospital to seek safety.
On Monday, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), also called on all parties to the conflict to adhere to their obligations under international humanitarian law by refraining from military operations in populated areas and protecting civilians and civilian infrastructure.
In its statement, the HCT specifically urged all stakeholders to uphold the commitments that were made during the recent visit of UN relief chief Tom Fletcher. These commitments are intended to ensure the protection of civilians, humanitarian personnel, supplies, and infrastructure, as well as to guarantee safe and unhindered humanitarian access across the country.
Last month, Fletcher undertook a five-day mission to South Sudan to draw international attention to the deteriorating humanitarian situation.
“We urge all parties to refrain from military operations in populated areas and resolve differences through dialogue. The people of South Sudan need peace,” the HCT statement concluded.
Over 263,000 civilians internally displaced due to conflict in 2026
The latest escalation in the protracted crisis in South Sudan has resulted in intense clashes between the South Sudan People's Defense Forces (SSPDF) and the Sudan People's Liberation Army–In Opposition (SPLA-IO). These clashes have displaced over 263,000 civilians in Jonglei, Lakes, Upper Nile, and Central Equatoria states since the beginning of the year.
The clashes have forced civilians to flee their homes and seek safety in temporary settlements or the bush. In addition to displacement, civilians have sustained serious injuries and continue to face severe threats to their safety, including reports of killings, abductions, family separation, gender-based violence, and children injured in explosions.
Aid workers have also been affected, with at least three killed in Jonglei and Upper Nile states since early February.
The humanitarian situation in Jonglei remains fragile, as intensified fighting between the SSPDF and the SPLA-IO continues to uproot communities and disrupt basic services in northern and central counties. There have been reports of sustained ground fighting, destruction of civilian infrastructure, and intermittent airstrikes.
South Sudan's humanitarian situation is deteriorating rapidly
The situation in Jonglei, Upper Nile, and several other states has worsened to levels not seen since 2017. This deterioration is occurring amid an escalating conflict that is forcing people to flee their homes and restricting access for aid workers. There has also been a surge in human rights violations, including the forced recruitment of children by armed forces.
Since March 2025, political instability and rising hostilities between armed groups have led to clashes in Upper Nile State, Jonglei State, and other parts of the country. Over the past twelve months, these clashes have resulted in deaths and injuries, as well as the destruction of civilian infrastructure. This has forced many displaced people, who are suffering from disease and food insecurity, to flee again.
The UN warns that women, girls, children, persons with disabilities, older persons, and other vulnerable groups face disproportionate threats, including heightened risks of violence, exploitation, and severe deprivation.
This latest upsurge of violence is occurring amid a complex humanitarian crisis in South Sudan, where more than 700,000 people were displaced by conflict and floods in 2025 alone. The country is facing a multidimensional emergency encompassing the impact of last year's flooding, disease outbreaks, and food insecurity.
According to the latest food security report, over half of South Sudan's population — approximately 7.56 million people — will experience crisis-level hunger or worse during the lean season from April to July 2026. In the coming months, tens of thousands will be at risk of famine.
Furthermore, more than 2.1 million children under the age of five are currently experiencing acute malnutrition and urgently need nutritional services and treatment. Additionally, an estimated 1.15 million pregnant and breastfeeding women in South Sudan are malnourished.
Heightened risk of full-scale war and mass atrocity crimes
South Sudan is at heightened risk of renewed large-scale violence as political tensions intensify and ethnically targeted attacks spread, particularly in the states of Jonglei, Unity, Upper Nile, and Central Equatoria.
In February, the Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan, mandated by the UN Human Rights Council (HRC), warned that political and military leaders are undermining the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement, endangering civilians and placing them at risk of renewed conflict, mass atrocity crimes, and serious human rights and humanitarian law violations.
In presenting its latest report to the HRC, the Commission called for an immediate end to the fighting, the full restoration and implementation of the Revitalized Agreement, and compliance with South Sudan’s international legal obligations.
“Last March, the President declared South Sudan would not return to war. To the contrary, we have seen an alarming regression,” said Yasmin Sooka, chair of the Commission.
"Government forces have since carried out widespread and systematic attacks against civilians, including unlawful killings, indiscriminate, disproportionate aerial bombardment of civilian homes and medical facilities in violation of the principles of distinction, proportionality and precaution under international humanitarian law."
Additionally, the Commission’s report documented incidents of conflict-related sexual violence, as well as the abduction and forcible recruitment of boys.
“Taken together, these acts may constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity under international law,” Sooka said.
Drawing on independent investigations conducted in South Sudan, the report focuses on events and cases in 2025 while noting distressing new developments in 2026.
“The Commission found that armed forces under ruling party command are now most responsible for attacks against civilians, including patterns of targeting linked to ethnicity and perceived political affiliation,” Sooka added.
Further information
Full text: South Sudan Humanitarian Country Team Statement on the Situation in Akobo, Jonglei State, OCHA, statement, released March 9, 2026
https://reliefweb.int/report/south-sudan/south-sudan-humanitarian-country-team-statement-situation-akobo-jonglei-state