Over 200,000 displaced as fighting pushes Jonglei to humanitarian breaking point

JUBA — Renewed fighting and airstrikes in Jonglei State have displaced more than 230,000 people in less than a month, pushing the region toward a humanitarian breaking point, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has warned.

In a news flash issued this week, OCHA said the humanitarian situation in central and northern Jonglei is rapidly deteriorating due to escalating conflict, mass displacement, and shrinking humanitarian space. The agency reported that people have fled Nyirol, Uror, Akobo, and Duk counties since December 29, 2025, following intensified clashes and aerial bombardments.

“As of January 26, more than 230,000 people have been displaced in Jonglei State by renewed fighting and airstrikes,” OCHA said in the statement seen by Sudan Post, describing the pace of displacement as alarming and the operating environment for aid agencies increasingly constrained.

Amid growing concern, the UN’s top humanitarian leadership in South Sudan has begun urgent engagements with the government. On January 24, Anita Kiki Gbeho, Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General, Resident Coordinator, and Humanitarian Coordinator, met the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs to review the unfolding crisis.

The two officials discussed reports of thousands of newly affected civilians and agreed to work jointly to expedite principled and pragmatic humanitarian assistance to the most vulnerable communities.

In response to the escalating emergency, the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator approved a $10 million allocation from the Central Emergency Response Fund on January 22 to address urgent and life-saving needs triggered by the violence in Jonglei.

The crisis in Jonglei is unfolding against a broader national humanitarian emergency. According to OCHA, South Sudan continues to face intersecting shocks driven by armed conflict, climate extremes, disease outbreaks, and economic decline. These pressures have eroded community resilience, weakened essential services, and displaced millions across the country.

In 2026, more than 10 million people — roughly two-thirds of South Sudan’s population — are projected to require humanitarian assistance. The situation is characterized by acute food insecurity, widespread displacement, fragile health and education systems, and severe protection risks.

Women, children, people with disabilities, and other vulnerable groups face heightened exposure to gender-based violence, exploitation, and harmful coping mechanisms, including early and forced marriage, as families struggle to survive amid prolonged instability.

OCHA warned that without sustained humanitarian access and urgent de-escalation of hostilities, the situation in Jonglei risks deteriorating further, with devastating consequences for civilians already displaced by the renewed conflict.