South Sudan: UN forced to suspend food aid after ‘unacceptable’ attacks on convoy

As preventing intensifies there between opposition forces and nationwide troops, there are stories of airstrikes and day by day civilian casualties.

UN businesses warn that worsening insecurity is obstructing lifesaving aid, whereas starvation projections deteriorate and cholera therapy centres wrestle to address an inflow of newly displaced individuals.

The renewed violence comes as South Sudan’s 2018 Revitalised Peace Settlement proceed to disintegrate amid stalled reforms, rising political tensions forward of deliberate elections in 2026, and mounting strain from a couple of million refugees fleeing the brutal conflict in neighbouring Sudan.

Click on right here to learn a abstract of threats to South Sudan’s peace course of and the converging political, safety and humanitarian crises, and their influence on civilians.

Humanitarian statistics for South Sudan as of December 2025.

WFP convoy attacked, actions suspended

The UN World Food Programme (WFP) on Wednesday suspended all actions in Baliet County, Higher Nile state, following repeated attacks on a convoy carrying humanitarian help down river.

Between final Friday and Sunday, a 12-boat convoy transporting greater than 1,500 metric tonnes of food and different reduction gadgets was attacked a number of occasions by armed youth.

The cargo was later looted in a number of places, regardless of receiving prior safety assurances for the protected passage of aid.

WFP stated the suspension would stay in place till the protection of its employees, companions and contractors is assured and authorities take fast steps to get better the stolen provides.

“Attacks on humanitarians are by no means acceptable,” WFP stated, urging all events to respect humanitarian staff and safeguard the amenities and assets important for delivering aid.

Aid entry below risk

The convoy assault displays a broader collapse in humanitarian entry, significantly in Jonglei state, the place renewed preventing since late December has intensified clashes between the South Sudan Folks’s Protection Forces and the South Sudan Folks’s Liberation Military-in-Opposition throughout a number of counties.

In accordance to the UN reduction coordination workplace, OCHA, preventing and airstrikes have displaced round 280,000 individuals since late December, together with greater than 235,000 throughout Jonglei alone. Many have fled to areas with minimal water, sanitation and well being companies, sharply rising the danger of illness outbreaks.

Humanitarian companions report that not less than seven aid amenities have been looted or broken in Jonglei, with belongings confiscated and aid staff intimidated, forcing the suspension of operations in a number of places.

South Sudan: Humanitarian snapshot (December 2025).

Hospitals hit, companies halted

The medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) reported that Authorities forces bombarded its hospital in Lankien, Jonglei State, in a single day on 3 February, destroying the primary warehouse and most crucial medical provides. One MSF employees member suffered minor accidents.

In a separate incident the identical day, MSF’s well being facility in Pieri was looted by unknown assailants, forcing employees to flee. The NGO stated the violence had left round 250,000 individuals with out healthcare, because the group had been the one supplier within the space.

Starvation and illness dangers rising

UN businesses warn that escalating battle is predicted to considerably worsen food insecurity, significantly in northern Jonglei and Higher Nile states.

Projections point out that the variety of counties going through emergency-level starvation (IPC Section 4) between February and Could will greater than double, with some households susceptible to slipping into catastrophic situations (IPC Section 5).

Insecurity has already forced WFP to pause plans to pre-position 12,000 metric tons of food forward of the wet season in Jonglei, elevating issues that entry will additional deteriorate as soon as roads grow to be impassable.

Since September 2024, South Sudan has recorded almost 98,000 cholera circumstances and greater than 1,600 deaths, with Jonglei among the many worst affected, overwhelming therapy centres.