Speaking before the UN Security Council, peacekeeping chief Jean-Pierre Lacroix said the situation has taken a “dangerous turn,” with renewed clashes among signatories to the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement and widespread aerial bombardments.
“The humanitarian situation remains catastrophic,” Lacroix said, noting that 7.5 million people face severe food insecurity while floods and displacement continue to worsen.
More than 1.2 million returnees from Sudan have poured into South Sudan, straining already-limited resources. Civilians continue to face sexual violence, arbitrary arrests, and killings with little accountability.
Lacroix urged political leaders to recommit to dialogue, warning that credible elections in 2026 appear increasingly unlikely without urgent action.
UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous highlighted that women and girls “bear the heaviest burden” of the crisis, facing hunger, abduction, and gender-based violence daily. She called for greater inclusion of women in peacebuilding and leadership roles.
Regional observers say South Sudan’s crisis underscores broader instability across the Horn of Africa, as conflicts in neighboring Sudan and Ethiopia spill over borders and test fragile peace efforts.