Violence in South Sudan has claimed more than 180 lives since March, displacing thousands and creating a worsening humanitarian crisis that demands urgent international attention, according to United Nations officials and human rights organisations.
The armed clashes and aerial bombardments in Upper Nile State have injured over 250 people and forced an estimated 125,000 to flee their homes, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for South Sudan Anita Kiki Gbeho reported. The violence, which began on March 4, has also resulted in the deaths of four humanitarian workers and the closure of six health facilities due to looting and destruction.
“This latest surge in violence must stop,” Gbeho said in a statement issued from Juba. “This violence comes at a time when humanitarian funding is dwindling and urgent needs are rising not only in Upper Nile but across South Sudan.”
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Allegations of Incendiary Weapons Use
Human Rights Watch has called on the international community to condemn South Sudan’s alleged use of incendiary weapons amid the escalating violence. Nyagoah Tut Pur, the group’s South Sudan researcher, warned that government airstrikes have devastated civilian areas including Mathiang, Longechuk, and Nasir, despite international laws prohibiting such weapons in populated zones.
Satellite images show significant damage to civilian infrastructure following government strikes, according to the human rights organization. Although South Sudan has not signed the protocol banning these weapons, their reported use has prompted urgent calls for stronger global enforcement.
Political Tensions Undermine Peace Agreement
The fighting between government forces and the White Army militia, seen as aligned with Vice President Riek Machar, threatens the fragile 2018 peace agreement. Machar, currently under house arrest, has demanded an international investigation into human rights abuses.
The main opposition has called for the UN peacekeeping mission to establish bases in high-risk areas, warning that without security guarantees, peacekeepers cannot operate effectively to protect civilians caught in the violence.
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Humanitarian Access Restricted
Humanitarian access in Upper Nile remains severely restricted, with critical medical supplies rapidly running out amid an ongoing cholera outbreak that has already claimed 919 lives and infected nearly 49,000 people across South Sudan.
“With the rainy season fast approaching and the cholera outbreak accelerating, rapid and unhindered access to vulnerable communities along with the delivery of critical supplies is urgently needed to save lives,” the UN statement added.
The violence in South Sudan occurs against the backdrop of wider humanitarian crises in the region. A deeper exploration of the humanitarian challenges facing Sudan and South Sudan can be found in the podcast “Starvation and Silence: Sudan Plunges into the World’s Worst Humanitarian Nightmare,” which features insights from Deprose Muchena, senior director for regional human rights impact at Amnesty International.
As violence continues to escalate in South Sudan, humanitarian organizations warn that without swift de-escalation and improved access, the humanitarian situation will deteriorate further, putting countless more lives at risk.
Image: Crisis Group
