JUBA, South Sudan — A severe humanitarian crisis is unfolding in South Sudan’s conflict-ravaged Jonglei State as major aid organizations warn that government restrictions and intensified fighting are preventing life-saving assistance from reaching vulnerable populations. The situation has triggered alarms at the United Nations and among international humanitarian agencies about potential mass violence and a slide back into full-scale war.
The International Rescue Committee confirmed the suspension of critical services due to ‘intensified fighting and the militarization of key areas,’ according to country director Richard Orengo. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) reported that the South Sudanese government has suspended all humanitarian flights, severing supply lines for medical equipment, staff mobility, and emergency medical evacuations. The organization identified at least 23 critically ill patients, including children and pregnant women, requiring urgent evacuation currently impossible under the flight ban.
The World Food Program issued dire warnings that escalating violence threatens food assistance for hundreds of thousands of people. This comes as nearly 60% of Jonglei’s population faces crisis-level hunger ahead of the rainy season, which traditionally cuts off access roads. The preemptive delivery of aid has been prevented by ongoing hostilities.
Civilians are enduring the devastating consequences of renewed clashes between government forces and opposition fighters loyal to the Sudan People’s Liberation Army-In Opposition (SPLA-IO) under Riek Machar. Reports indicate homes destroyed, civilians killed in crossfire, and families repeatedly displaced. Opposition forces, alongside allied ‘White Army’ fighters, have recently gained ground against government troops.
The UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan expressed ‘grave alarm’ over inflammatory rhetoric from a senior army commander who urged troops to ‘spare no lives’—language the opposition characterizes as ‘an early indicator of genocidal intent.’ Government spokesman Ateny Wek Ateny dismissed the comments as ‘uncalled for’ and ‘a slip of the tongue.’
UN Secretary-General António Guterres has appealed for an immediate cessation of hostilities, civilian protection, and guaranteed humanitarian access, emphasizing that South Sudan’s crisis demands political rather than military solutions. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the renewed conflict has displaced over 230,000 people since December.
This escalating violence places South Sudan’s fragile 2018 peace agreement under severe strain and intensifies political tensions ahead of the country’s first general election scheduled for December, raising concerns about further destabilization in the region.