South Sudan Army Evacuation Order Sparks Mass Displacement into Ethiopia, Says UNICEF

An estimated 100,000 people have been forced to flee their homes and cross into Ethiopia following an evacuation order issued by South Sudan’s army earlier this month, the United Nations children’s agency reported on Tuesday.

The order, which targeted the opposition-held town of Akobo in the volatile eastern state of Jonglei, has triggered a major humanitarian crisis, marking the latest escalation in the country’s descent back toward widespread conflict.

According to a statement from UNICEF, the mass exodus began after the South Sudanese army directed all civilians and foreign aid agencies to leave Akobo on March 6. The military claims to have since secured the town, but communication blackouts have made it impossible to independently verify the situation on the ground, and reports remain conflicting.

A security source, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, stated that the army has taken control of the military barracks in Akobo and demolished nearby structures to establish a buffer zone. No official confirmation of these actions has been released by the government.

UNICEF described the situation in Jonglei as dire, with “violence and conflict raging” and creating a rapidly “deteriorating situation for children.” The agency detailed that in addition to the 100,000 people who have crossed the border into Ethiopia, many others have sought refuge in safer areas within Jonglei and the neighboring Upper Nile state.

The humanitarian toll is severe. UNICEF reported that Akobo Hospital, previously considered a safe haven for the sick and injured, has been completely emptied. “Reports confirm that the hospital has been looted and is now closed,” the statement read, adding that rates of malnutrition among the displaced children are “worryingly high.”

The crisis is compounded by a collapsing healthcare system. The agency noted that 28 health and nutrition facilities across Jonglei have been destroyed, looted, or shut down this year alone, at a time when the region is also grappling with a cholera outbreak.

This latest displacement highlights the crumbling of a fragile 2018 power-sharing agreement between President Salva Kiir and his longtime rival, First Vice President Riek Machar.

The peace deal, which ended a devastating five-year civil war, has been steadily unraveling since early 2025, with renewed clashes in multiple areas fueling fears of a return to full-blown conflict. South Sudan, which gained independence in 2011, remains one of the world’s poorest nations, plagued by deep-rooted instability and corruption.