UNICEF and its partners have restored life-saving humanitarian assistance to conflict-isolated communities in Wiechjol in Akobo County and Waat in Nyirol County, Jonglei State, South Sudan, delivering critical support to vulnerable families who had gone months without reliable access to essential services.
The intervention comes after escalating conflict, mass displacement and insecurity since January 2026 disrupted humanitarian operations across parts of Jonglei State. Unsafe routes have restricted movement and access to affected communities, while several health facilities have been forced to close, leaving families without dependable healthcare, safe water, sanitation, protection and nutrition services.
Through the Rapid Response Mechanism (RRM), UNICEF has delivered more than eight tonnes of essential humanitarian supplies to the two communities.
The assistance includes therapeutic food for children suffering from acute malnutrition, water treatment and hygiene supplies, as well as critical medical commodities needed to support vulnerable populations.
The response has provided an important lifeline for families who have been cut off from humanitarian assistance amid continuing conflict and displacement.
However, UNICEF has warned that the scale of the needs remains severe, particularly among children and women exposed to deteriorating health, nutrition and protection conditions.
Nutrition has been a major focus of the emergency intervention. UNICEF and its partners screened 1,666 children under five for acute malnutrition, identifying 146 children suffering from severe acute malnutrition who were admitted for life-saving treatment.
A further 602 cases of moderate acute malnutrition were identified and referred for follow-up care, while 331 caregivers received counselling on infant and young child feeding practices aimed at improving nutrition outcomes.
Healthcare support has also been restored through the response. A total of 1,241 patients, including 250 children under five, received primary healthcare services through consultations and treatment for common illnesses.
These included malaria, acute respiratory tract infections, acute watery diarrhoea and skin diseases, conditions that can become particularly dangerous for children when healthcare services are disrupted and access to clean water and adequate sanitation is limited.
Water, sanitation and hygiene assistance has formed another critical part of the response.
UNICEF reported that 1,200 households received water filters and purification supplies to improve access to safer water.
In addition, 200 women and girls received dignity and hygiene kits, while more than 2,000 people were reached with hygiene promotion and disease prevention messages.
UNICEF warned that affected children face increased risks of family separation, gender-based violence, abduction and recruitment by armed groups.
Humanitarian Access Remains Critical in Jonglei
There is a necessity of preserving humanitarian access to places that are still challenging to reach due to infrastructure damage and instability.
According to Noala Skinner, UNICEF South Sudan Country Representative, the situation in Jonglei had placed mothers and children in an increasingly precarious position, while stressing that humanitarian operations continued to face significant challenges.
“Access challenges in Jonglei state have left the lives of mothers and their children hanging in the balance. The RRM missions are important, but operating conditions in northern Jonglei remain challenging.
“Recent Standardized Monitoring and Assessment of Relief and Transitions (SMART) surveys indicate that in Akobo West, global acute malnutrition rates stand at above 40 per cent, among the highest in South Sudan.”
Noala Skinner
UNICEF added that the assistance delivered through the RRM was particularly significant for families that had been isolated from humanitarian support for extended periods.
“For many families, this was the first help they had seen in months. But what we found shows how much more is needed, and how quickly conditions can deteriorate if access continues to be constrained in these areas.”
Noala Skinner
The organisation is therefore calling for safe, predictable and sustained humanitarian access to conflict-affected communities across Jonglei State.
It is also urging an end to grave violations against children, including the recruitment and use of children by armed forces and groups, alongside increased investment in protection services for women and children.
Such measures, UNICEF noted, should include efforts to prevent gender-based violence, child abductions and other protection risks confronting communities affected by conflict and displacement.
The agency is further calling for continued support for emergency response operations, including the Rapid Response Mechanism, to prevent disruptions in supplies such as therapeutic food, medicines and clean water.
UNICEF has also stressed the need for sustained partnerships and flexible humanitarian financing to maintain operational readiness, pre-position essential supplies and mobilise multidisciplinary response teams.
Such capacity, the organisation stated, is necessary to enable the rapid deployment of life-saving assistance whenever and wherever emergencies emerge.
READ ALSO: Poland Warns Russia Strikes Could Reach NATO Territory
