Highlights
- Seven confirmed fatalities and 20+ civilians injured in the May 3 attack in Old Fangak
- 30,000+ newly displaced individuals (5,000+ households) have fled into flooded marshlands where they face snakebites, waterborne diseases and starvation
- Displaced women and children report rising incidents of sexual violence and exploitation in overcrowded camps
- ~1.9 million IDPs in South Sudan
- IMA World Health will deploy mobile outreach health care workers in Fangak to meet the immediate life-saving needs of over 5,000 IDPs
Situation Overview
Since early 2025, the situation in South Sudan — particularly in Jonglei and Upper Nile states — has sharply deteriorated amid escalating clashes between government forces and opposition groups. Amid arrests of opposition leaders, an attack on a UN helicopter and ongoing conflicts, attacks on civilians and aid facilities have intensified. These events have newly displaced more than 130,000 people in Upper Nile. On May 3, two helicopter gunships bombed a Médecins Sans Frontières-operated pharmacy in Old Fangak in Jonglei State, burning it to the ground and rendering the facility, which served 110,000 people, largely non-functional. Aerial bombardments have continued throughout the month in various localities in Fangak County deemed “hostile” by government forces. This resulted in several deaths, injuries and the displacement of tens of thousands.