The United Nations has warned that South Sudan’s security and humanitarian situation is rapidly worsening amid renewed conflict and a faltering peace process.
Briefing the Security Council on Monday, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Africa, Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee, said recent military offensives have caused deaths, mass displacement, and the destruction of civilian infrastructure, undermining progress made under the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement.
The accord, which ended South Sudan’s five-year civil war, required power-sharing between President Salva Kiir and his rival, First Vice President Riek Machar.
But the deal effectively collapsed in March when Machar and his wife were placed under house arrest, sparking fresh clashes between Machar’s militia and government troops.
The crisis has been compounded by the spillover from Sudan’s ongoing civil war, which has forced 1.2 million refugees into South Sudan, overwhelming already limited resources.
At the same time, aid funding has fallen sharply, with only 28.5% of the 2025 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan financed.
Pobee warned that over nine million people now require urgent humanitarian assistance, while aid workers face rising risks from attacks and bureaucratic restrictions.
She urged all parties to recommit to the ceasefire, release political detainees, and return to direct dialogue.
South Sudan’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, Sabino Edward Nyawella Amaikwey, insisted the government remained committed to supporting UN operations and addressing obstacles.
