{"id":82719,"date":"2026-02-23T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-23T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gulftimes.ae\/south-sudan-fighting-displaces-nearly-280000-un-warns-of-perfect-storm\/"},"modified":"2026-02-23T12:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-02-23T12:00:00","slug":"south-sudan-fighting-displaces-nearly-280000-un-warns-of-perfect-storm","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gulftimes.ae\/?p=82719","title":{"rendered":"South Sudan fighting displaces nearly 280,000; UN warns of \u2018perfect storm\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The escalation comes amid rising protection risks for civilians and aid workers, with three humanitarian personnel killed between 7 and 16 February in Jonglei and Upper Nile states, according to the UN relief coordination office, OCHA.<\/p>\n
Access to some of the worst-affected areas remains uneven despite renewed pledges by authorities to allow relief operations.<\/p>\n
Last Friday, Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher arrived in the country for a five-day mission to draw international attention to what he described as a deteriorating and underreported crisis.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo here in South Sudan, you have this perfect storm of climate change and conflict and inequality and poverty,<\/strong>\u201d Mr. Fletcher said upon arrival. \u201cRight now, people here in South Sudan feel that no one is listening.\u201d<\/p>\n
Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher (left) at the Akobo County Hospital in Jonglei state in South Sudan.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Displacement surges<\/h2>\n
Clashes between the South Sudan People\u2019s Defence Forces \u2013 the national army \u2013 and elements of the rival Sudan People\u2019s Liberation Army-in-Opposition (SPLA-iO), which resumed in late December, have triggered large-scale displacement across central and northern Jonglei.<\/p>\n
According to South Sudanese authorities, nearly 280,000 people have fled their homes across eight counties<\/strong>, with many moving into Upper Nile and Lakes states.<\/p>\n
Families are sheltering in the open or in makeshift structures, with urgent needs for food, healthcare and basic supplies.<\/strong> Markets and agricultural activities have been disrupted, leaving several communities with little or no access to food.<\/p>\n
The UN World Food Programme (WFP) has scaled up food assistance but fighting and insecurity \u2013 including looting of aid convoys \u2013 are hampering the response.<\/p>\n
Caught in the crossfire<\/h2>\n
In Akobo, southern Jonglei state, Mr. Fletcher visited a local hospital, where at least 93 patients with gunshot wounds had been treated by 18 February.<\/p>\n
\u201cCivilians should never be a target,\u201d he said, after meeting victims that included an 18-month-old child and a 70-year-old grandmother.<\/p>\n
At the hospital, a humanitarian worker recounted: \u201cThe father was shot. The mother was abducted.<\/strong>\u201d The grandmother had walked seven days for help. Asked whether she had received food, Mr. Fletcher observed: \u201cThere is no food.<\/strong>\u201d<\/p>\n
He added that communities are going \u201cweeks, without the support they need,\u201d describing \u201cdevastating stories of sexual violence, of hunger and starvation, of children arriving who have lost everything.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cholera on the march<\/h2>\n
The fighting has taken a heavy toll on health services. Thirteen facilities have reportedly been damaged or looted, resulting in three deaths and one injury among health workers. In some counties, most facilities have been destroyed or suspended operations.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, cholera continues to spread. Between 11 and 17 February, 106 new cases and three deaths were reported across five counties. Since the outbreak began in September 2024, more than 98,000 cases and 1,624 deaths have been recorded nationwide.<\/p>\n
Access and accountability<\/h2>\n
Although authorities have reiterated directives for unhindered humanitarian access, implementation remains inconsistent. Aid convoys have faced denials in some areas, and operational constraints have limited movements.<\/p>\n
Mr. Fletcher said the challenge extends beyond immediate relief, asking: \u201cHow do we get a peace process? How do we end this conflict? How do we provide security for people here?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut also, how do we cut through the noise, the noise of distraction and apathy?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n