Escalating Armed Conflict and Humanitarian Crisis in South Sudan Amid Political Instability South Sudan faces escalating armed conflict and a deepening humanitarian crisis, with ceasefire violations, intercommunal violence, and clashes between government forces (SSPDF), opposition groups like SPLA-IO, and non-signatories such as NAS in states including Jonglei, Unity, Upper Nile, Western Equatoria, Eastern Equatoria, Western Bahr el Ghazal, and Central Equatoria. Since December 2025, attacks on civilians have surged, including aerial bombardments, deliberate killings, abductions, and sexual violence, with OHCHR documenting 189 civilian deaths in January 2026 alone—a 45% increase from the prior month—and over 5,100 killed or injured in 2025, up 40% from 2024. From late December 2025 to early January 2026, fighting displaced over 100,000 people in Jonglei, adding to 2.3 million IDPs and nearly 10 million needing aid.
The crisis is exacerbated by over 598,000 refugees from Sudan (as of November 2025) and 800,000 South Sudanese returnees, fueling food insecurity affecting 70% of the population amid flooding, climate events, and aid cuts. Humanitarian access is severely restricted, with operations suspended in parts of Upper Nile and northern Jonglei; UN officials warn of a slide into full-scale war, collapsed military discipline, and mass atrocities, linked to Sudan's spillover and political polarization threatening Horn of Africa stability.
Women and girls face heightened gender-based violence, with increased abductions and sexual assaults reported. UNMISS peacekeeping continues amid funding shortfalls, but impunity persists, and calls intensify for ceasefire, dialogue, and protection.