Evacuation in South Sudan cuts aid for 200,000 people, deepens crisis

A government-mandated evacuation in the northern South Sudanese town of Akobo East has forced tens of thousands of residents and humanitarian staff to leave, shutting down aid programs that support over 200,000 people and worsening already catastrophic conditions according to Oxfam.

Even before the recent escalation, the humanitarian situation in the area was dire. Residents were surviving on wild fruits and leaves, with limited access to food, water, and medical care. The town, home to more than 188,000 people, had been sheltering an additional 82,000 individuals displaced by conflict from other parts of Jonglei State.

The evacuation has triggered a new wave of displacement, leaving thousands of families with even fewer resources and support. Women and children make up more than half of those displaced. Repeated displacement and escalating violence increase the risks of sexual violence, abduction, and child marriage.

"This evacuation order has forced the closure of all humanitarian support. Living conditions were already extremely poor, and now exhausted people, many already displaced, are being forced to move again because of spiraling conflict," Oxfam country director Shabnam Baloch said.

Local aid workers describe harrowing scenes of families being forced into the wilderness once again. Many were recently displaced from Walgak, hopeful for stability, only to be uprooted. 

Most displaced residents have fled to Tergol, a key border crossing, while around 37,000 have crossed into Ethiopia's Gambella region, joining approximately 78,000 already there, according to UNOCHA. This influx is straining a region already hosting over 450,000 South Sudanese refugees.

Aid delivery in Ethiopia is equally under pressure due to funding cuts, forcing organizations to scale back essential services such as clean water and sanitation. Ethiopia is also facing drought and crop failures, leaving many households without food.

Edited by CGTN Reporter Halligan Agade