Mass Evacuations and Humanitarian Collapse in South Sudan’s Akobo County Amid Escalating Regional Violence

Save the Children reports mass displacement in Akobo, South Sudan, as military orders force 100,000 to flee amid child abductions and a total aid shutdown.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 20, 2026, 3:47 AM EDT

Source: The information in this article was sourced from Save the Children

A Humanitarian Crisis Unfolding in Jonglei State

The humanitarian landscape in eastern South Sudan has reached a breaking point following the systematic evacuation of Akobo County. According to reports from Juba, escalating conflict has forced nearly 267,000 people from their homes in Jonglei state since late last year, with over 100,000 fleeing toward Ethiopia in March alone. This mass movement follows a formal directive issued on March 6 by the South Sudanese military, which ordered all civilians, non-governmental organizations, and United Nations personnel to vacate the area due to the threat of active combat.

Harrowing Accounts of Survival and Loss

The human cost of the displacement has been detailed through the testimony of Reath James Nyaluak, a Save the Children staffer who survived the journey from Walgak to Akobo. Nyaluak described scenes of profound distress, including children remaining beside their deceased parents and elders dying along the route. In one specific instance of the violence's reach, a colleague’s brother was killed and four children were abducted during their flight to safety. These accounts underscore a deteriorating security environment where civilians are frequently targeted or caught in the crossfire of shifting frontlines.

The Symbolic Birth of Canoe Amidst Chaos

In a rare moment of resilience amidst the crisis, Nyaluak recounted assisting a stranded family crossing the river at Akobo East. While ferrying an expectant mother, a blind elderly woman, and a young child to safety, the mother went into labor and delivered a baby girl inside the vessel. The child was named "Canoe" in the local language, a name reflecting the extraordinary circumstances of her birth. While the mother and infant survived, the incident highlights the total absence of formal medical infrastructure for the thousands of families currently stranded in forests or along riverbanks.