South Sudan's army forced an estimated 100,000 people to flee across the border into Ethiopia after ordering the evacuation of the opposition-held town of Akobo earlier this month, Unicef said Tuesday.
The UN children's agency said "violence and conflict are raging" across the state of Jonglei in South Sudan, creating a "deteriorating situation for children".
"An estimated 100,000 people have crossed the border into Ethiopia, and others have moved to safer areas in Jonglei and Upper Nile states," Unicef said in a statement, shared with news agencies on Tuesday.
"All those receiving treatment in Akobo hospital, previously a safe haven for the sick and injured, have left," the statement continues. "Reports confirm that the hospital has been looted and is now closed."
It added that rates of malnutrition among displaced children were "worryingly high".
Twenty-eight health and nutrition facilities have been destroyed, looted or shut in Jonglei so far this year, at a time when the region is facing a cholera outbreak, the agency said.
Health, nutrition and clean water and sanitation supplies have been stolen in 17 incidents countrywide, 80 percent in Jonglei, and rates of malnutrition amongst displaced children are worryingly high – a quarter of all children under five are malnourished
Unicef in South Sudan has delivered 220 metric tons of supplies to displaced populations in some of the affected areas, access remains a challenge in some areas.
Refugee camps overwhelmed as cholera spreads in South Sudan
Ongoing conflict
Akobo in the eastern state of Jonglei is the latest flashpoint as fighting between the government and opposition has brought South Sudan back to the brink of all-out civil war.
The army ordered an evacuation of the town, including foreign aid agencies, on 6 March.
It claims to have since taken control of Akobo, though there have been conflicting reports of events on the ground, which have been impossible to verify due to limited communications.
A security source told AFP that the army had taken over the military barracks in Akobo and destroyed buildings in the vicinity to create a buffer zone, but no official report had yet been issued.
South Sudan gained independence in 2011 but soon descended into civil war and remains mired in extreme poverty and corruption.
A 2018 power-sharing deal between President Salva Kiir and his long-time rival Riek Machar has been unravelling since early 2025, with clashes in multiple areas and fears of a return to full-blown war.
(with AFP)
