100,000 fled to Ethiopia after South Sudan army offensive on border town: UN

Renewed violence in South Sudan has forced an estimated 100,000 people to flee across the border into Ethiopia, according to UNICEF

The массовый displacement followed an order by the South Sudanese army to evacuate the town of Akobo on March 6, including civilians and humanitarian agencies. The town, located in Jonglei State, has become a key flashpoint in escalating clashes between government forces and opposition groups

Although the army claims it has taken control of Akobo, reports from the ground remain conflicting and difficult to verify due to limited communications. A security source indicated that military positions were seized and nearby buildings destroyed to create a buffer zone

The humanitarian situation has sharply deteriorated, with UNICEF warning that violence is severely impacting children. Displaced families are facing high levels of malnutrition, while essential services are collapsing. The main hospital in Akobo has been looted and shut down, forcing patients to flee

So far this year, 28 health and nutrition facilities in Jonglei have been destroyed, looted, or closed, worsening conditions amid an ongoing cholera outbreak. Many people have also been displaced internally to areas such as Upper Nile State

The crisis comes as a fragile 2018 peace deal between Salva Kiir and Riek Machar continues to unravel, raising fears that the country could slide back into full-scale civil war

Source: NEWSTIMEHUB