UNICEF has raised alarm over a rapidly worsening humanitarian crisis affecting children in Jonglei State, warning that a deadly mix of escalating violence, mass displacement, and disease outbreaks is pushing vulnerable communities to the brink.
In a flash update shared with Standard Zone News, the agency said ongoing clashes have forced an estimated 100,000 people to flee from Akobo into neighboring Ethiopia.
The displacement follows an evacuation order issued amid deteriorating security conditions, leaving thousands of families many of them women and children without access to food, shelter, or basic services.
The violence has dealt a severe blow to already fragile health systems.
UNICEF reported that the main hospital in Akobo has been looted and shut down, while at least 28 health and nutrition facilities across Jonglei have been destroyed or vandalized since the beginning of 2026. Nationwide, 17 incidents of looting targeting health, nutrition, and water and sanitation supplies have been recorded, with roughly 80 percent occurring in Jonglei alone.
Children are bearing the brunt of the crisis.
UNICEF estimates that one in four children under the age of five among displaced populations is now suffering from acute malnutrition, a level that signals a deepening public health emergency if urgent interventions are not scaled up.
Compounding the situation is a growing cholera outbreak, first reported in Ayod County and now spreading to Duk County and Uror County.
The spread of the disease driven by limited access to clean water and poor sanitation poses a significant threat to already weakened communities, particularly young children.
Despite ongoing insecurity, UNICEF said it has managed to deliver more than 220 metric tons of life-saving supplies to some accessible areas.
However, the agency cautioned that continued violence is severely restricting humanitarian access, leaving many communities cut off from essential assistance.
UNICEF is calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities and for all parties to guarantee safe and unhindered access for humanitarian actors.
Without urgent action, the agency warned, the situation for children in Jonglei could deteriorate even further in the coming weeks.
