In the northeastern regions of South Sudan, renewed clashes between government forces and opposition groups have unleashed a wave of violence, displacing tens of thousands and plunging communities into a deepening humanitarian crisis. Since late December 2025, intensified fighting—particularly in and around Lankien in Jonglei State and along the Sobat River in Upper Nile State—has seen attacks on villages, destruction of civilian infrastructure, and targeted assaults on health facilities, forcing families to flee on foot for days, often with nothing but the clothes on their backs.
At least 25,000 people have sought refuge in Chuil town, Jonglei State, while thousands more are scattered across surrounding villages and swamps. An additional 28,000 have arrived in Minkaman, Lakes State, swelling makeshift settlements where displaced families live outdoors without shelter, adequate food, clean water, or healthcare. Many have fled multiple times, arriving exhausted and vulnerable to disease outbreaks like cholera due to poor sanitation and nutrition gaps.
The situation is dire. In Chuil, screenings by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) revealed alarming malnutrition rates: 54 percent of 1,263 children under five were acutely malnourished, and 21.5 percent of 609 pregnant and breastfeeding women faced the same crisis. People in remote swampy areas boil tree leaves for food, and patients die from lack of medicine where aid cannot reach.
MSF said it has scaled up emergency response, upgrading a healthcare center in Chuil to 60 beds for malnutrition treatment, maternal health, and trauma care. Since late February, teams have provided over 2,200 consultations, admitted 172 patients, and referred 16 others. Mobile clinics by boat in nearby areas delivered 1,349 consultations, while relief items like mosquito nets, blankets, and jerry cans reached more than 1,500 families. In Minkaman, MSF conducted 2,210 consultations and supported water and sanitation improvements.
Yet challenges persist. Humanitarian access remains limited and irregular, with requests denied and remote communities cut off. MSF’s Zakaria Mwatia, head of mission in South Sudan, warned on Thursday: “Humanitarian organisations are increasing activities in Chuil area and in Minkaman, but the response still falls short, and many remote communities remain without lifesaving assistance. We call for an urgent and coordinated scale-up of other humanitarian groups, to reach people in the hardest-hit areas — especially those still cut off from aid.”
Adding: “Without sustained support, the risk of disease outbreaks and further displacement could rapidly escalate into catastrophe.”
Tuna Turkmen, MSF emergency project coordinator, highlighted the pattern of violence: “We are seeing a deeply alarming pattern of attacks on health facilities and health care workers, alongside violence against civilians. … It is essential that communities can access these services, and that humanitarian and medical workers can carry out their work safely and without restriction.”
In swampy areas around Lankien, thousands wait in dire conditions as people arrive daily. The escalation has closed key hospitals, including MSF-supported facilities bombed or looted, leaving vast populations without care.
As fighting continues between the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) and Sudan People’s Liberation Army-in-Opposition (SPLA-IO), civilians bear the brunt. Urgent, unrestricted humanitarian access is needed to avert further catastrophe in this fragile region.
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