The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, on Friday warned of a further deterioration in the human rights situation in South Sudan, following a sharp increase in hostilities, arbitrary arrests and hate speech in the country since February. The warning comes as South Sudan faces one of the world's most severe humanitarian crises, and one of the worst prospects since independence in 2011.
“The escalating hostilities in South Sudan portend a real risk of further exacerbating the already dire human rights and humanitarian situation, and undermining the country’s fragile peace process,” Türk said in a statement. “All parties must urgently pull back from the brink.”
“I urge all parties to uphold the 2018 peace agreement, ensure protection of civilians and civilian objects and facilitate humanitarian access in line with their obligations under international law,” he said.
Fighting between the South Sudan People's Defense Forces (SSPDF) and the Sudan People's Liberation Army - In Opposition (SPLA-IO) and their respective allied armed groups has killed at least 75 civilians, injured 78 others, and displaced thousands from their homes.
Between May 3 and May 20, clashes have intensified, with reports of indiscriminate aerial bombardments and river and ground offensives by the SSPDF against SPLA-IO positions in parts of Fangak in Jonglei State and Tonga County in Upper Nile State.
Civilian-populated areas were also attacked, including a medical facility operated by Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders, MSF). On May 21, the SPLA-IO and allied armed groups launched a counteroffensive to retake areas they had lost in Fangak, causing further displacement of civilians.
The latest armed violence erupted after a series of attacks and confrontations in February in Nasir County, Upper Nile State, reportedly involving a militia group identified as the White Army. Most of the current violence has taken place in Central Equatoria, Jonglei, Unity and Upper Nile states.
Dozens of politicians linked to the Sudan People's Liberation Movement - In Opposition (SPLM-IO) have been arrested, including South Sudan's First Vice President Riek Machar, ministers, members of parliament, and military officers. In March, at least 55 senior government officials affiliated with the SPLM-IO were arrested across the country, including civilians.
“I am concerned that many of the detentions are arbitrary in nature, as the individuals in question were arrested without warrants or due process,” said Türk. “Those arbitrarily detained must be immediately and unconditionally released.”
He urged the South Sudanese government to allow the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) access to the National Security Service detention facilities to assess the welfare of the detainees held there.
Türk also called on the authorities to take prompt, effective and meaningful steps to stop the spread of hate speech.
According to UNMISS, misinformation and hate speech are fueling tensions in an atmosphere that reminds one of the conflicts of 2013 and 2016, which claimed more than 400,000 lives.
A sharp deterioration in the political and security situation in South Sudan since February this year threatens to undermine the peace gains made until now and plunge the country back into war.
Tensions have been exacerbated by internal conflict, particularly between forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and those aligned with Vice President Machar. In 2018, Kiir and Machar signed a comprehensive peace agreement, also known as the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement, which was supposed to culminate in elections in December 2024.
However, in June 2024, Kiir and Machar agreed to postpone the elections for another two years. South Sudan is scheduled to hold its long-delayed general elections in December 2026, but many question whether the world's youngest nation will be ready.
The violence, which has swept several states since mid-February, has escalated tensions nationwide, with armed clashes and aerial bombardments causing widespread casualties. Some 130,000 people have been newly displaced, including many thousands who have reportedly crossed into Ethiopia.
Escalating tensions in South Sudan threaten to deepen an already dire humanitarian crisis. In 2025, an estimated 9.3 million people - 69 percent of South Sudan's total population of 13.4 million - are in need of humanitarian assistance.
Across the country, a major hunger crisis is unfolding. From April to July, an estimated 7.69 million people are classified as IPC Phase 3 or higher (Crisis or worse). Of this total, 2.53 million people face critical levels of acute food insecurity - classified as IPC Phase 4 (Emergency) - and 63,000 people face catastrophic levels of acute food insecurity or IPC Phase 5 (Catastrophe).
Nearly 2.1 million children under the age of five are at risk of malnutrition. This includes 650,000 children who are suffering from severe acute malnutrition (SAM) and require urgent medical attention.
The worsening humanitarian emergency in South Sudan is being driven by the escalation of sub-national violence, spillover from the conflict in Sudan, disease outbreaks, deepening economic collapse, extreme weather events linked to climate change, and a sharp decline in international aid.
Since the start of the war in Sudan in mid-April 2023, large numbers of civilians have been forced to flee to South Sudan. The unprecedented influx of 1.13 million returnees and refugees since 2023 has put immense pressure on food security, local services, and already fragile infrastructure.
The war in Sudan is also contributing to the economic crisis in South Sudan, affecting trade, causing inflation to soar, and reducing government oil revenues.
To make matters worse, South Sudan is one of the most vulnerable countries to the extreme impacts of climate change. Drought and flooding are contributing to food insecurity. Consecutive years of record flooding have led to widespread displacement, loss of farmland, and destruction of livelihoods.
In 2024, severe flooding affected approximately 1.4 million people across the country. The climate crisis continues to drive displacement, disrupt food production, escalate competition for scarce resources, and fuel communal violence.
A cholera outbreak continues amid a crippled health system, with more than 65,000 cases and over 1,200 deaths to date in 49 counties.
According to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the current cholera outbreak is having a severe impact on children, with nearly 50 percent of cases occurring in children under the age of 15, including about 25 percent of cases in children under the age of 5, while exacerbating an already severe malnutrition crisis.
Despite growing needs, the 2025 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan (HNRP), which requires US$1.7 billion to support nearly 5.4 million of the country's most vulnerable people, is only 17 percent funded to date.