Fighting has escalated most dramatically in Jonglei state, where clashes between government forces and opposition elements displaced more than 280,000 people, according to government sources.
Reports of aerial bombardments, inflammatory rhetoric and severe restrictions on humanitarian access have raised fears of a return to the widespread violence seen in 2013 and 2016.
Communities, Lacroix said, are once again “on the move,” fleeing areas where fighting has broken out and basic services have collapsed.
South Sudan humanitarian statistics as of December 2025.
The crisis is unraveling
In late January, government forces instructed civilians, UN staff and aid workers to temporarily relocate from several Jonglei counties, including the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) base in Akobo, citing an anticipated military operation.
Although the Government later denied issuing such a directive and reiterated its cooperation with humanitarian partners, the episode highlighted the volatility of the situation.
Regional bodies, including the African Union (AU) and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), have expressed alarm at the escalation and stressed that there is no military solution and that the peace agreement remains the only viable framework for stability.
Political stagnation deepens
Lacroix warned that unilateral efforts to modify the peace agreement risk undermining its primacy, particularly proposals to postpone key transition tasks, such as drafting a constitution, until after elections scheduled for December 2026.
The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM-IO) has said it cannot engage in political dialogue while its leader, First Vice President Riek Machar, remains subject to ongoing legal proceedings, further complicating efforts to break the deadlock.
Machar, once an ally of President Salva Kiir, has been under house arrest since March 2025 and reportedly faces charges of murder and treason, which he denies.
The UN Security Council meets on the situation in South Sudan.
The humanitarian crisis worsens
The deteriorating security situation is exacerbating what Lacroix described as one of the most dangerous environments in the world for humanitarian workers.
In 2025 alone, 350 attacks against humanitarian personnel and facilities were recorded.a sharp increase from the previous year, as the country faces the worst cholera outbreak on record.
Since September 2024, more than 98,000 cases of cholera have been reported nationwide, and a resurgence is now occurring in Jonglei.. Flight restrictions and blocked movements are delaying medical evacuations and the delivery of vital supplies.
Recent incidents include an airstrike on a hospital in Lankien on February 3, which destroyed critical medical supplies and injured staff, and the looting of a health center in Pieri on the same day. The violence has also forced the closure of 24 nutrition centers in Jonglei, leaving almost 8,000 children without care, including more than 2,600 suffering from severe acute malnutrition.
The peacekeepers did their best
In this context, UNMISS is grappling with significant funding-driven capacity reductions.
Mr. Lacroix said Cost-cutting measures have already reduced protective patrols by up to 40 percent in some areas and by up to 70 percent where bases have closed.. Human rights monitoring missions were canceled and tensions increased in areas left without a UN presence.
At the same time, the Mission has been forced to redeploy forces to hotspots such as Akobo and establish temporary operating bases to deter violence and protect civilians.
“The trends we are currently seeing are clear,” Lacroix said, urging the Security Council and international partners to ensure sustained political and financial support.
“The presence of UNMISS remains very important. “It is important for the people we protect, it is important for our humanitarian partners who we help and it is important for the peace process that we support and in which we actively participate.”