Renewed Fighting in Jonglei Displaces Nearly 280,000: UN Warns of Perfect Storm in South Sudan

By Juba Global News Network | JubaGlobal.com
Published: February 24, 2026

In the heart of South Sudan, the vast and volatile Jonglei State has once again become a epicenter of suffering. Renewed clashes that erupted in late December 2025 between the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) — the national army — and elements of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army-in-Opposition (SPLA-IO) have unleashed a wave of violence, forcing nearly 280,000 civilians to flee their homes. This mass displacement, confirmed by South Sudanese authorities and humanitarian agencies including the Relief and Rehabilitation Commission (RRC) and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), spans eight counties: Uror, Nyirol, Akobo, Duk, Ayod, Canal/Pigi, Twic East, and Bor South. Many displaced families have sought refuge in neighboring Upper Nile and Lakes states, overwhelming already strained host communities.

The fighting has not only uprooted lives but also ravaged essential infrastructure. At least 13 health facilities in Jonglei have been damaged, looted, or forced to suspend operations since late December, with reports of airstrikes and ground assaults targeting civilian areas. On February 3, 2026, an MSF (Médecins Sans Frontières) hospital in Lankien, Jonglei, was hit by an airstrike carried out by government forces, injuring one staff member, while a nearby health center in Pieri was looted by unidentified assailants. These incidents are part of a disturbing pattern: in 2025 alone, MSF documented eight targeted attacks on its facilities across South Sudan, leading to closures and suspensions in regions including Jonglei.

Amid this chaos, a cholera outbreak — already raging nationwide since September 2024 — has accelerated in the conflict zones. Between September 2024 and mid-February 2026, South Sudan recorded over 98,000 cholera cases and more than 1,624 deaths across 55 counties. In Jonglei, the violence has exacerbated transmission through overcrowded displacement sites, limited access to clean water, and disrupted sanitation. In the week of February 11–17 alone, 106 new cases and three deaths were reported across five counties, with Duk and Ayod heavily affected. Humanitarian teams note a slight downward trend in some areas like Duk (from 15–16 daily cases to just four on February 18), but vigilance remains critical as overcrowding and poor hygiene in displacement camps fuel the risk.

UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher, during a recent visit to South Sudan including stops in Malakal, Bor, and Akobo, described the converging crises as a “perfect storm” of conflict, climate shocks, inequality, and poverty. “So here in South Sudan, you have this perfect storm of climate change and conflict and inequality and poverty,” Fletcher stated, highlighting how communities already battered by years of instability and extreme weather events now face renewed violence. He visited a hospital in Akobo treating 93 patients with gunshot wounds, including an 18-month-old child and a 70-year-old grandmother — stark evidence of the human cost.

The World Food Programme (WFP) reports that approximately 60% of Jonglei’s population — around 1.2 million people — was already acutely food insecure before the latest escalation. Conflict has disrupted markets, agricultural activities, and aid delivery, pushing hunger to critical levels. WFP is scaling up emergency food distributions, registering newly displaced families in northern areas like Canal Pigi, but insecurity — including looting of convoys — hampers efforts. UNICEF warns that over 450,000 children in Jonglei risk acute malnutrition as violence halts nutrition and health services.

Protection risks are escalating alarmingly. Three humanitarian personnel were killed between February 7 and 16 in Jonglei and Upper Nile. Reports emerged of civilians, including women and children, being lured from homes in Pankor village, Ayod County, under the pretense of food aid registration, only to be killed by fighters allied with the government. Survivors described harrowing escapes, underscoring the breakdown in civilian safety.

This crisis unfolds against a broader backdrop of fragility in South Sudan. The 2018 peace agreement brought fragile hope after years of civil war, but political transitions have faltered, with elections delayed and tensions rising ahead of December 2026 polls. Spillover from Sudan’s ongoing war adds pressure, with over 1.1 million people fleeing into South Sudan since April 2023.

Humanitarian organizations like CARE, UNICEF, and UNFPA emphasize that women and children bear the brunt: families arriving with nothing but their lives, pregnant women wading through floodwaters for care, and malnourished children facing heightened vulnerability. UNFPA-supported facilities in Jonglei struggle to provide maternal health amid the chaos.

The international community must act urgently. Calls for immediate ceasefires, unimpeded humanitarian access, and extended UN human rights monitoring grow louder. As Fletcher urged, the fighting “must stop” to avert further catastrophe.

South Sudan’s people deserve peace and dignity. Without sustained global attention and support, the perfect storm in Jonglei — and across the nation — risks becoming a prolonged tragedy.

Juba Global News Network is committed to amplifying voices from South Sudan’s crises. For updates, visit JubaGlobal.com. Share this article to raise awareness.

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