The humanitarian situation in South Sudan is “continually degrading,” with a sharp rise in casualties from airstrikes and ground fighting, aid agencies have told the UN.
A senior official from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said the use of aircraft and barrel bombs had intensified, displacing hundreds of thousands.
The warning comes as funding for the crisis is reported to be in decline.
Florence Gillette, the head of the ICRC delegation in South Sudan, briefed journalists on Friday in Geneva on an “alarming” medical crisis.
She said nearly 1,000 weapon-wounded patients had been treated in ICRC-supported hospitals so far in 2025 – the highest number recorded since 2018.
“In the past eight years, we have conducted more than 25,000 surgeries on 5,000 persons wounded by weapons,” Ms Gillette added.
The conflict is occurring in seven out of the country’s ten states, she explained. Alongside the aerial attacks, hostilities on the ground have killed and injured many, displacing close to half a million people.
The crisis is compounded by the arrival of some 1.2 million people who have fled the conflict in neighbouring Sudan, many living in dire conditions.
Funding decline
Ms Gillette warned that the immense humanitarian needs were not being met, with about 57% of the population facing food insecurity. She said health facilities, highly dependent on international aid, had suffered “a drastic reduction” in capacity.
“This was further exacerbated by the fact that funding continued to decline, [and] donor interest has decreased in recent years,” she stated.
In response to questions, Ms Gillette said the aerial weapons being used “most likely came from private companies.” While not highly sophisticated, she said they created significant challenges for civilians and aid workers.
The downsizing of the UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) will also affect humanitarian assistance and the protection of civilians, she warned.
The ICRC official said that while humanitarian flights were still possible in South Sudan – unlike in Sudan – they required coordination with armed forces to access certain areas and evacuate the wounded.