Conflict-affected people in South Sudan receiving food items. |Courtesy: ICRC|.
4 November 2025
A surge in fighting across South Sudan has forced more than 445,000 people to flee their homes in 2025, exacerbating one of the world’s most protracted humanitarian crises.
With aid funding sharply declining and essential services stretched to breaking point, families face growing hardship and uncertainty. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) urges all parties to the conflict, authorities, and donors to take action to prevent a catastrophe in the months to come.
Throughout the year, the scope of the armed conflict has widened, affecting civilians living across South Sudan, primarily in areas of Upper Nile, Jonglei, Central Equatoria, Western Equatoria and Western Bahr el Ghazal. Many families have been displaced multiple times in search of safety.
“All over the country, civilians bear the brunt of conflicts and violence. They flee, try to rebuild their lives, and are forced to flee again. Conflict-related hostilities affected seven states out of 10, and inter-communal violence has occurred in almost all states. This cycle must end so that communities can recover from years of crisis. This is further compounded by the impact of climate change, with above 900,000 affected, including 300,000 displaced”, said Florence Gillette, ICRC Head of Delegation in South Sudan.
In 2025 alone, the combined effects of conflict in South Sudan, the consequences of conflict in Sudan, recurrent inter-communal violence, and massive floods, have devastated communities.
“When the fighting started in the village, I ran with my children and never looked back. We walked for days without food, and my youngest fell sick on the way. Life in this temporary settlement here is not easy, I worry for my children’s safety and our future,” said Grace Wani, a mother of four currently displaced in Yambio, Western Equatoria.
“Displaced people will continue to face unbearable conditions unless all parties do everything possible to protect civilians and civilian objects such as fields and other sources of livelihood, water installations, housing, healthcare facilities, markets, and schools,” said Ms Gillette.
“The war in Sudan forced me to flee to South Sudan with my three children. When we finally reached Kuajok, the place my parents once called home, I felt both relief and sadness. I was back to my ancestral land, but I knew no one. Life was hard. My children often went to sleep hungry. Then, in September 2025, the ICRC came with support for returnees like me. That evening, I cooked beans and porridge, and my children smiled again. For the first time in months, we slept safely and full”, said Achol Marial, a returnee from Sudan.
Since the beginning of 2025, the ICRC has assisted 196,000 displaced people and returnees from Sudan in collaboration with the South Sudan Red Cross (SSRC). This assistance has focused on addressing life-saving needs through a combination of food support, cash assistance, emergency agricultural and livestock interventions, income-generating assistance, and the provision of essential household items to improve living conditions.
