About 100,000 Flee South Sudan Fighting Into Ethiopia, UNICEF Says

An estimated 100,000 people have fled renewed fighting in South Sudan into neighbouring Ethiopia, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said on Tuesday, expanding a deepening humanitarian crisis in the East African region.

The mass displacement followed an order by South Sudan’s army to evacuate the opposition-held town of Akobo in Jonglei state earlier this month, prompting civilians, including many women and children, to cross into Ethiopia’s Gambella region in search of safety.

UNICEF said, “Violence and conflict are raging across Jonglei, creating a deteriorating situation for children.”

Many of those fleeing left treatment facilities behind as hospitals closed and were reportedly looted.

“All those receiving treatment in Akobo hospital, previously a haven for the sick and injured, have left. Reports confirm that the hospital has been looted and is now closed,” UNICEF added.

Rates of malnutrition among displaced children are worryingly high, and more than two dozen health and nutrition centres have been shut, damaged, or looted this year.

The sudden surge in refugees adds pressure on already overstretched services in Ethiopia, which is hosting thousands of South Sudanese refugees in camps and transit centres near the border.

Basic needs such as food, clean water, shelter, and medical care are under strain as local authorities and humanitarian organisations struggle to cope with rising numbers.

South Sudan, the world’s youngest country after gaining independence in 2011, has been plagued by cycles of violence and instability for years.

A 2018 power sharing deal between President Salva Kiir and opposition leader Riek Machar helped reduce conflict temporarily but has been eroding since early 2025, with clashes intensifying in multiple regions.

The fighting has triggered repeated displacement within South Sudan and across its borders.

UN agencies reported that tens of thousands have already been uprooted in recent months and that broader violence, disease outbreaks, and food insecurity have worsened overall conditions.

The refugee flow into Ethiopia comes as neighbouring countries continue to absorb people fleeing conflict and insecurity in South Sudan and other regional crises.

Ethiopia, already hosting hundreds of thousands of displaced people, is grappling with the challenge of providing shelter, healthcare, and safe water to new arrivals.

Humanitarian organisations have called for urgent international support and funding to address immediate needs and prevent further deterioration of the situation.

Without a significant easing of violence and expanded aid, more civilians are expected to flee, deepening the strain on Ethiopia and other neighbouring countries.