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An bid by South Sudan’s service to evacuate the opposition-held municipality of Akobo earlier this period pushed an estimated 1,00,000 radical to fly crossed the borderline into Ethiopia, UNICEF said Tuesday (March 17, 2026).
Akobo successful the eastbound authorities of Jonglei is the latest flashpoint arsenic warring betwixt the authorities and absorption has brought South Sudan backmost to the brink of all-out civilian war.
The service ordered an evacuation of the town, including overseas assistance agencies, connected March 6.
It claims to person since taken power of Akobo, though determination person been conflicting reports of events connected the ground, which person been intolerable to verify owed to constricted communications.
A information root told AFP that the service had taken implicit the subject barracks successful Akobo and destroyed buildings successful the vicinity to make a buffer zone, but nary authoritative study had yet been issued.
The UN children’s bureau said “violence and struggle are raging” crossed Jonglei, creating a “deteriorating concern for children”.
“An estimated 100,000 radical person crossed the borderline into Ethiopia, and others person moved to safer areas successful Jonglei and Upper Nile states,” UNICEF said successful a statement.
“All those receiving attraction successful Akobo infirmary — antecedently a harmless haven for the sick and injured — person left. Reports corroborate that the infirmary has been looted and is present closed.”
It said rates of malnutrition among displaced children were “worryingly high”.
Twenty-eight wellness and nutrition facilities person been destroyed, looted oregon unopen successful Jonglei truthful acold this year, astatine a clip erstwhile the portion is facing a cholera outbreak, the bureau said.
South Sudan gained independency successful 2011 but soon descended into civilian warfare and remains mired successful utmost poorness and corruption.
A 2018 power-sharing woody betwixt President Salva Kiir and his long-time rival Riek Machar has been unravelling since aboriginal 2025, with clashes successful aggregate areas and fears of a instrumentality to full-blown war.
