South Sudan's Healthcare System Collapses as Violence Displaces 280,000 People
Juba, 14 February 2026
Since December 2025, escalating violence across South Sudan has devastated the country’s already fragile healthcare infrastructure, with twelve medical facilities attacked or looted. Over 280,000 people have fled their homes in Jonglei State alone, whilst cholera cases surge to 479 nationwide. Children comprise 53% of the displaced population, facing acute malnutrition risks.
Medical Infrastructure Under Siege
The assault on South Sudan’s healthcare system has been systematic and devastating. As of 13 February 2026, twelve health facilities have been looted or partially destroyed since hostilities began, with four facilities affected in Uror County, four in Nyirol, three in Ayod, and one in Duk County [1]. The attacks have forced numerous nutrition centres to close, leaving vulnerable populations without access to essential medical care [2]. On 3 February 2026, an MSF-supported hospital in Lankien was bombed, destroying its warehouse and medical supplies [3]. The International Committee of the Red Cross has responded by deploying a temporary surgical team to Panyijar County, Unity State, to provide emergency surgical care to critically wounded patients from Jonglei State [1].
Cholera Crisis Compounds Healthcare Emergency
The collapse of medical infrastructure has coincided with a surge in infectious diseases, particularly cholera. Since January 2026, cholera cases have reached 479 countrywide, with 125 cases concentrated in Jonglei State alone [3][4]. Médecins Sans Frontières established a 30-bed Cholera Treatment Centre in Poktap, Duk County, as of 13 February 2026, in response to the growing outbreak [1]. The humanitarian response has been severely constrained by ongoing violence, with sixteen humanitarian vehicles and assets commandeered by armed groups, including fourteen light vehicles, one tractor, and one quad bike from organisations such as Save the Children, Oxfam, Norwegian Refugee Council, MSF, Tearfund, and Catholic Relief Services [1].
Children Bear Disproportionate Burden of Crisis
The humanitarian crisis has disproportionately affected South Sudan’s youngest population. Children comprise 53% of the 280,000 people displaced in Jonglei State since late December 2025 [2][3]. These displaced children face grave protection risks including killing, maiming, recruitment into armed groups, separation from families, gender-based violence, and psychological distress [3]. An estimated 825,000 children across Jonglei, Unity, and Eastern Equatoria states are at risk of acute malnutrition [2][3]. The situation has prompted urgent warnings from UNICEF Representative Obia Achieng, who stated that displaced families ‘fled with nothing’ and are ‘sleeping in displacement camps left over from the not-so-distant civil war – camps where there are barely any services’ [2].
Humanitarian Funding Falls Short of Crisis Scale
Despite the escalating crisis, humanitarian funding remains inadequate to meet the growing needs. South Sudan’s 2024 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan required US$1.79 billion but achieved only 71.8% funding coverage [5]. The refugee response sector was particularly underfunded, receiving only US$103.3 million against requirements of US$400 million, representing just 25.8% coverage [5]. Education services faced even more severe shortfalls, with only 24.4% of the required US$50.1 million secured [5]. The World Food Programme received the largest allocation of US$635.4 million, representing 45.064% of total funding to South Sudan in 2024 [6]. As violence continues to displace hundreds of thousands and destroy critical infrastructure, the funding gap threatens to leave millions without essential humanitarian assistance, particularly affecting potential returnees from refugee camps who may now reconsider repatriation plans given the deteriorating security situation.