Civilian deaths and conflict-related sexual violence rose sharply in South Sudan during the first quarter of 2026 despite a slight decline in the overall number of violent incidents, the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) said on Tuesday.
UNMISS said its Human Rights Division documented 206 incidents of conflict-related violence between January and March, affecting 1,388 civilians. The victims included 1,049 men, 215 women, 82 boys and 42 girls.
According to the report, 767 civilians were killed, 457 injured, 93 abducted and 71 subjected to conflict-related sexual violence.
While the number of documented incidents fell 4% from the previous quarter, the total number of victims increased 67%. Civilian killings rose 89%, injuries increased 73%, and survivors of conflict-related sexual violence climbed 31% from the previous quarter and 78% from the same period a year earlier, UNMISS said. The mission also documented 34 incidents of sexual and gender-based violence during the period.
“Every statistic in the report represents the impact of continued violence on human lives, underscoring the urgent need for all parties to prioritize the protection of civilians in line with their obligations under international humanitarian law and international human rights law,” Anita Kiki Gbeho, the U.N. Secretary-General’s Special Representative and head of UNMISS, said in a statement.
She urged all parties to grant UNMISS safe and unhindered access to affected areas to enable documentation of violations, investigations and accountability.
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