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Violence in South Sudan has killed hundreds and forced more than 180,000 people from their homes, as escalating clashes between rival factions threaten the country’s fragile peace, humanitarian officials and witnesses say.
The latest fighting has centred on Jonglei state, north of the capital Juba, where communities have fled air attacks, ground battles and widespread destruction. Civilians have been seen escaping into nearby swamps and bushland in search of safety.
Humanitarian agencies reported that displacement across four counties in Jonglei has now exceeded 180,000 people. Many families are sheltering outdoors after homes, clinics and food supplies were destroyed or looted, raising fears of worsening hunger and disease.
Aid workers in Juba said the current clashes began in late December, with government forces responding to opposition advances with air strikes that reportedly included barrel bombs. According to humanitarian sources, explosives have landed dangerously close to health facilities, further limiting access to care.
Large parts of Jonglei have now been declared inaccessible to humanitarian organisations, forcing many displaced people to flee to the state capital, Bor, where numbers continue to rise daily.
Fighting has also been reported in Upper Nile and Central Equatoria states, raising concerns that the unrest could spread nationwide. The UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan cautioned that the situation in Jonglei risks pushing the country back into a wider and more dangerous cycle of violence.
