More than 450,000 children in South Sudan’s Jonglei State are at risk of acute malnutrition following renewed fighting that has displaced hundreds of thousands of people and disrupted critical health and nutrition services, UNICEF has warned.
Since the beginning of 2026, renewed clashes between forces loyal to the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) and the Sudan People’s Liberation Army–In Opposition (SPLA-IO) have escalated across parts of Jonglei State, particularly in its northern and central areas.
The fighting has reportedly displaced at least 250,000 people, forcing families to flee their homes and leaving children and women exposed to hunger, disease, and insecurity.
The renewed violence comes in a region already affected by chronic food insecurity, fragile health systems, and some of the highest child malnutrition rates in the country.
“We are extremely concerned for women and children affected by these violent clashes,” said Noala Skinner, UNICEF Country Representative in South Sudan.
“These areas already have some of the highest rates of child malnutrition, and we know that a malnourished child without treatment is 12 times more likely to die.”
“We urgently call on all parties to cease the violence and allow rapid, safe, and unimpeded humanitarian access to reach the most vulnerable.”
Humanitarian access to conflict-affected communities remains severely constrained, with restrictions on river, air, and road movement limiting the ability of aid agencies to deliver lifesaving assistance. As a result, six counties in Jonglei State have already run out of, or are close to running out of, therapeutic food a critical treatment for severely malnourished children.
Across South Sudan, UNICEF has recorded the closure of 17 health facilities due to conflict, leading to the suspension of vital nutrition and health services. In addition, 10 incidents of looting of health and nutrition supplies have been reported nationwide, five of them in Jonglei State.
Despite the deteriorating security situation and access constraints, UNICEF continues to respond. Emergency water purification equipment, buckets, and soap have been dispatched to Duk County, where concerns are rising over a potential cholera outbreak.
Additional supplies delivered to Akobo include malaria treatment, therapeutic food for malnourished children, and emergency health kits to support more than 10,000 people.
UNICEF warns that without immediate humanitarian access, sustained funding, and a cessation of hostilities, the lives of hundreds of thousands of children in Jonglei State remain in grave danger.
