Displacement Soars in South Sudan Amid Worsening Crisis

UNICEF/Mark Naftali – A young girl walks to a water collection point in conflict-hit Renk town, Upper Nile state, South Sudan. (File photo)

A sharp escalation in fighting in South Sudan since late February has displaced at least 165,000 people, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said on Tuesday, warning of a deepening regional humanitarian crisis.

Violence between armed groups in Upper Nile state and other conflict zones has crippled essential services, triggered widespread food insecurity, and worsened disease outbreaks, including cholera. Many people have been forced to flee multiple times.

Of the newly displaced, around 65,000 are now sheltering within Upper Nile state alone. Access to aid in many hotspots remains limited, with ongoing fighting and movement restrictions cutting off lifesaving assistance.

Essential supplies, including medicine and healthcare services to contain rising cholera cases, have been halted. Seasonal rains are exacerbating the situation, flooding roads and increasing transport costs.

South Sudan is also hosting over one million refugees who have fled the conflict in neighbouring Sudan.

Meanwhile, 103,000 South Sudanese have crossed borders into neighbouring countries since the recent upsurge, pushing the total number of South Sudanese refugees to 2.3 million.

“This emergency could not have come at a worse time,” said Mamadou Dian Balde, UNHCR’s Regional Director for the East, Horn of Africa and Great Lakes region. “Refugees are seeking safety in countries already grappling with their own crises and brutal funding cuts.”

Despite Sudan’s own conflict, 41,000 South Sudanese have fled there—26,000 to White Nile state, where over 410,000 South Sudanese were already living in fragile conditions. Cholera outbreaks and security concerns are further overwhelming services.

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, 23,000 new arrivals have added to pressures amid ongoing insecurity. In Ethiopia, 21,000 South Sudanese who previously lived in makeshift shelters along the border are now receiving UNHCR assistance farther inland, though infrastructure and services remain severely overstretched.

Uganda, already hosting one million South Sudanese refugees, has seen a sharp 135% rise in new arrivals since March, taking in 18,000 people—nearly 70% of whom are children, many of whom have had to take longer, riskier routes to safety.

UNHCR continues to provide critical relief including shelter, documentation, and specialised support for survivors of gender-based violence. However, to sustain support over the next six months—covering water, health services, nutrition screening, and cash aid—it needs $36 million in funding.

The agency also renewed its call for an immediate end to hostilities and urged all parties to spare civilians from further suffering.

In a related development, the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) has expressed deep concern over rising intercommunal violence in Tonj East County, Warrap state. Clashes driven by cattle raiding and revenge attacks have reportedly left more than 80 people dead, though figures remain unverified.

UNMISS is working closely with state and local authorities and increasing patrols to de-escalate tensions, but its efforts are being hindered by numerous checkpoints manned by armed youth that block access to affected areas.