South Sudan conflict: facts and how to help

South Sudan has been embroiled in a bitter civil war for six out of the eight years it’s existed as an independent country. Spurred on by power struggles between the nation’s leaders, the South Sudan conflict came to a head in 2013 when unresolved tensions between ethnic groups erupted into fighting that spread all over the country.

The reasons for war are complex and many, and oftentimes it’s difficult to comprehend why a peace agreement is so hard to come by in the aftermath of so much suffering. What’s clear about the South Sudanese civil war is that children are among the least protected demographic and yet, they have suffered the most due to circumstances beyond their control. Let’s take a look at the most frequently asked questions about this conflict.

1. What is happening in South Sudan?

South Sudan gained its independence in 2011, six years after the Second Sudanese Civil War ended, to become the world’s newest country. The young nation’s tenuous hold on peace snapped in 2013 when President Salva Kiir Mayardit accused then-Vice President Riek Machar of plotting to overthrow him, embroiling the country in an intense civil war that pitted millions of civilians between government forces and rebel factions.

The South Sudanese civil war created a multitude of crises, including violent clashes between ethnic groups, the collapse of civic infrastructures, political instability, famine and food insecurity, and many human rights violations. Life became increasingly and dangerously unbearable in South Sudan, driving 2.27 million refugees to neighbouring countries like Uganda, while another 1.87 million people became internally displaced.

The signing of a power-sharing agreement between the warring factions in 2018 raised hopes for peace in South Sudan but did little to reverse the effect that years of political and tribal conflict, violence and destroyed livelihoods has had on the country. Seven million people continue to be in dire need of humanitarian aid and protection.

Below is a timeline of key events that led up to the South Sudan conflict and where it stands today. 2011 —After decades of civil war in Sudan, the southern region gained its independence on July 9 and officially became known as South Sudan. 2012 —South Sudan and Sudan fought over the oil-rich region of Abyei in the first half of the year. A peace deal in June helped South Sudan’s oil exports resume and created a 10-kilometre-long demilitarized zone along the border. 2013 —Political in-fighting ensued when President Kiir fired the cabinet and accused Vice President Riek Machar of planning a coup. The South Sudan civil war broke out as Ugandan troops tried to intervene for the government. 2014 —Ceasefires and peace talks dragged on throughout the year. By April, over one million civilians were displaced, and hundreds killed when rebel forces sacked Bentiu, a town known for its rich oil reserves. 2015 —President Kiir signed a peace agreement in August, under pressure from the international community. 2016 —In April, Machar returned to the capital city of Juba to be sworn in as first vice president under the new unity government. By July, Machar was once again fired and forced back into exile. In December, President Kiir denied accusations from the UN Human Rights Commission of ethnic cleansing in areas of South Sudan. 2017 —In February, parts of South Sudan faced famine as a result of economic collapse and civil war. A unilateral ceasefire was declared by President Kiir in May, once again fueling hopes of peace. The number of South Sudanese refugees fleeing to Uganda passed one million in August. 2018 —In a bid to end the war, a power-sharing agreement was signed by President Kiir and opposition leader Riek Machar in August, which saw Machar return to his previous role as vice president. 2019 —Clashes continued to break out in January between the South Sudanese army and the rebel group National Salvation Front (NAS), which did not sign the 2018 peace agreement. Over 8,000 civilians were displaced and approximately 5,000 people, mostly women, children and the elderly, fled on foot to neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo.

2020 — Despite the 2018 peace agreement, violence persisted. Intercommunal clashes and attacks by non-signatory groups like the National Salvation Front (NAS) displaced thousands. COVID-19 compounded the humanitarian crisis, with limited access to health care and rising food insecurity.

2021 — The transitional government struggled to implement key provisions of the peace deal. Armed clashes continued in Central Equatoria and Upper Nile. The UN reported grave violations against children, including recruitment and sexual violence. Flooding affected over 800,000 people, worsening displacement and hunger.

2022 — Implementation of the peace agreement stalled. The unification of armed forces was delayed, and political tensions rose. Intercommunal violence intensified, particularly in Jonglei and Warrap states. Humanitarian access was restricted due to insecurity and damaged infrastructure.

2023 — The Sudan conflict spilled into South Sudan, with over 900,000 people crossing the border by year-end. The influx overwhelmed local infrastructure and services. The government launched the Tumaini peace initiative to engage non-signatories, but key opposition groups withdrew, citing lack of trust.

2024 — Elections scheduled for December were postponed by two years due to lack of preparations. Violence surged, with 1,062 victims of intercommunal and political violence documented in Q2 alone. Climate shocks, including extreme flooding and drought, affected over 1.4 million people. The health system remained fragile, with malaria and cholera outbreaks reported.

2025 — The Revitalized Peace Agreement is at risk of collapse. Military offensives, arbitrary detentions, and foreign involvement have escalated tensions. A state of emergency was declared in several regions. The UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan warned of a return to full-scale conflict if regional actors fail to intervene.

2. What caused the South Sudan conflict?

While it’s easy to see the political rivalry between Kiir and Machar as the catalyst for the South Sudan crisis, there are other factors that continue to drive and compound the war.

A devastated economy

The destruction of oil processing plants during the South Sudan war has impacted the country’s ability to keep its economy afloat. Matters were only made worse by the government’s decision to shut down national oil production—the source of 98 per cent of their income—which directly affected Sudan, who also had a stake in the fight for oil in the region.

Lack of unity within the army

Rather than a single, organized unit loyal to the government, the South Sudanese army is organized into ethnically-based militias. Naturally, when the fighting turned to all-out war, soldiers and civilians alike looked to their own ethnic groups for protection. Ethnic violence

A majority of the Dinka tribe—South Sudan’s largest ethnic group —supports President Kiir who is himself a Dinka, while his primary opponent, Machar, belongs to the Nuer people, the second largest ethnic group in South Sudan. As fighting continued to spread to other parts of the country, ethnic groups with historical grievances against the Dinka were also drawn into the current conflict.

Creation of new states

In January 2017, South Sudan went from 28 states to 32 following a decree from President Kiir. Opposition groups criticized the move as a way for the Dinka to usurp control of fertile lands that didn’t belong to them and called it a violation of the transitional constitution.

3. How is the conflict affecting children?

Everyone suffers during and in the aftermath of natural and man-made disasters. But children tend to be the most vulnerable and therefore, often suffer the most. Caught up in the conflict, confusion and violence, South Sudanese children suffer unimaginably from the multiple and often simultaneously occurring humanitarian crises of the civil war. Following are some of the human rights violations they face in their daily struggle to stay alive.

Famine and food insecurity

In South Sudan and other parts of East Africa, violence and climate change are major contributors to localized famine and widespread food insecurity. After years of conflict in South Sudan, famine was declared in 2017 in the rebel-held areas of Unity State. The South Sudan famine affected approximately 100,000 men, women and children in that region alone.

With 2018 being the worst year in food security on record for South Sudan, the World Health Organization now estimates that 7.7 million people —or 57% of the population —are facing high levels of acute food insecurity in 2025, including 83,000 people in famine-like conditions. Additionally, 2.3 million children under five and 1.2 million pregnant and breastfeeding women require urgent treatment for acute malnutrition

Lack of education

Many factors, including violence, economic instability and food shortage, have made getting an education in South Sudan harder than ever before. The South Sudan conflict has resulted in many schools being unusable or destroyed, while teachers and other school personnel, fleeing from a combination of violence and economic hardship, are nowhere to be found.

As a result, experts have found that more than 2.8 million children —over 70 per cent—are currently out of school. The largest group of out-of-school children are girls, with poverty, child marriage, and cultural norms acting as major barriers. In fact, South Sudan was named the toughest nation in the world for girls to receive an education, with only 11,275 girls enrolled in Secondary 4 compared to 199,001 in Primary 1. A new $58 million education initiative led by UNICEF and Save the Children aims to improve learning outcomes for 250,000 children, with at least half being girls.

Learn why girls around the world are missing out on this fundamental human right and how you can help turn this injustice around.

Displacement

From South Sudan, refugees flooded into neighbouring countries, hoping to escape from the effects of civil war, such as violence and other humanitarian crises. At the height of the crisis in 2017, over one million South Sudanese refugees found their way to Uganda’s Bidi Bidi refugee camp, making it the world’s largest refugee camp at the time. As of 2025, Bidi Bidi still hosts over 286,000 registered refugees, many of whom are women and children facing severe challenges including lack of access to education, clean water, and protection services.

Orphaned children like Peter are often forced to make the frightening journey alone or with their siblings, surviving in the bush for weeks by scavenging for food and walking during the day to stay safe. With war in Sudan bringing new refugees over the border daily, South Sudan is now part of what UNICEF calls the largest child displacement crisis in the world, with 3 million children fleeing widespread violence.

By 2025, over 9.3 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance in South Sudan, including 2 million internally displaced people and 325,000 new child refugees. Learn more about the plight of refugees around the world and what you can do to help.

Sexual exploitation and violence

The accounts of sexual violence in South Sudan are brutal and difficult to hear. According to humanitarian agencies, there were over 6,000 cases of sexual and gender-based violence reported in recent years, including rape, domestic violence, and forced marriage. In 2024 alone, 40 women and girls were subjected to conflict-related sexual violence in just one quarter, marking a sharp increase from previous years. Survivors include children as young as eight, and nearly 90 per cent of victims were gang raped while seeking aid or fleeing violence.

Sexual violence in South Sudan is so pervasive that more than 65 per cent of women and girls have reportedly experienced it at least once in their lives. Mothers are teaching their daughters “safer” ways to minimize the violence and survive rape. Although government officials have claimed that raping women is against their culture, the practice has become so normalized that it goes vastly underreported. Organizations continue to train police and military personnel to address sexual violence, but systemic impunity remains a major barrier to justice and protection.

Health

Access to health care is practically non-existent for people living in remote areas of South Sudan. Even those who were spared from much of the violence from the war find it hard to get medical treatment.

Children under five are the most vulnerable to preventable illnesses like malaria, cholera and measles, which are prevalent in South Sudan due to poor nutrition and low levels of immunity and immunization coverage. Two out of five South Sudanese children are malnourished. Other at-risk groups are women who are pregnant or lactating, the elderly and people living with HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis.

Experts estimate that nearly 9.3 million South Sudanese will face inadequate access to health care in 2025, and the following conditions continue to exacerbate challenges within the current health care system:

• Lack of access to clean water: Approximately 59% of the population lacks access to safe drinking water, contributing to widespread waterborne diseases like cholera, typhoid, and dysentery.
• Infection prevention and control measures: Health facilities are overwhelmed by outbreaks of measles, malaria, and cholera, with over 84,606 confirmed cholera cases and 1,477 deaths reported by July 2025.
• Health care waste management: Many facilities lack proper waste disposal systems, increasing the risk of contamination and disease spread.
• Extensive malnutrition: Over 2.08 million children under five and 1.2 million pregnant and breastfeeding women are at risk of acute malnutrition, a 26% increase from 2024.
• Threat of viral hemorrhagic diseases like Ebola: While Ebola has not been confirmed in 2025, South Sudan continues to face outbreaks of other viral diseases including measles, hepatitis E, and cholera, with health infrastructure ill-equipped to respond.

Violence against the fragile health care system, including its workers, remains a major roadblock to adequate health care in South Sudan. Doctors Without Borders strongly condemned a series of attacks in 2025, including the violent looting of its hospital in Ulang and the abduction of staff in Morobo and Yei River counties. These incidents forced MSF to suspend operations in multiple regions, leaving thousands without access to critical medical care.

But these weren’t isolated incidents. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, South Sudan ranked as the second most dangerous country for humanitarian workers in 2025. Between January and July, over 200 incidents of direct violence against aid workers and assets were reported, resulting in 26 casualties, including 15 humanitarian workers killed or injured.

The consequences are devastating. The closure of MSF’s hospital in Ulang and suspension of outreach services across 13 sites have left communities spanning over 200 kilometers without any secondary health care facility. These attacks not only endanger lives but also severely disrupt access to health services for already vulnerable populations.

Child soldiers

Child soldiers in Africa can be found in Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, Somalia, and of course, South Sudan.

As of mid-2025, 152 children were verified as recruited and used by armed groups in South Sudan, including 65 by the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces. This continues a troubling trend, despite government denials and claims that children join voluntarily due to the surrounding conditions. The UN Secretary-General’s report confirmed that between July 2022 and June 2024, 249 children —including 22 girls —were recruited and subjected to grave violations such as abduction, killing, maiming, and sexual violence.

No one is safe from forced recruitment, not even children as young as ten years old. In a country where many girls lack access to basic rights like nutritious food, education, and personal safety, it’s tragically ironic that the one place they’re not excluded from is the army. Girls face heightened risks, often being used as fighters, cooks, or sex slaves. According to UN Women, conflict-related sexual violence remains rampant, with girls disproportionately affected and often denied justice or support.

Around the world, including South Sudan, child soldiers are being released back into society thanks to mounting international pressure. But, still, experts say that the number of recruitments keep rising in war-torn countries, like Iraq, Yemen and South Sudan, where the challenge is not just disarming child soldiers but keeping them disarmed. Many former child soldiers suffer from mental health illnesses, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, flashbacks and general discomfort at resuming their daily lives.

4. Is there hope for peace in South Sudan?

While the South Sudan conflict is still ongoing, albeit less intensely, the Revitalized Peace Agreement signed in 2018 once gave hope that real and lasting peace could be restored. Under the agreement, Riek Machar was to serve as one of five vice presidents under President Salva Kiir in a transitional government of national unity. However, the implementation has faltered, and tensions between Kiir and Machar have escalated. In March 2025, Machar was placed under house arrest, and in August, Kiir dismissed several of Machar’s key allies, raising fresh doubts about the viability of the power-sharing arrangement.

The agreement called for a cabinet of 35 ministers and a legislative assembly of 455 lawmakers from various political factions. But delays in constitutional reforms, security sector unification, and election preparations have stalled progress. Elections originally scheduled for December 2024 were postponed to December 2026, marking the fifth delay since independence and deepening public frustration.

Although South Sudan is closer than ever before to ending its civil war, mistrust between leaders and renewed violence threaten to unravel the fragile peace. The agreement still leaves many political and security issues unresolved—issues that sparked the conflict in 2013. Yet, with citizens weary of war and suffering, there remains hope that sustained regional pressure and grassroots advocacy will push all parties toward a genuine and lasting peace.

5. What kind of aid is Canada giving to South Sudan?

Canada has significantly increased its support to South Sudan in recent years. In 2022–2023 alone, Canada provided $136.35 million in international assistance, making South Sudan the 13th largest recipient of Canadian aid. This includes $54.35 million in bilateral development programming focused on health, education, food security, and inclusive governance.

In 2022, Canada announced $223.4 million in funding for development and humanitarian programming in South Sudan. This supported:

• World Vision, CARE Canada, and War Child in reducing gender inequality in agriculture.
• The World Food Programme in delivering food and cash assistance to build resilience.
• The Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund in empowering women in agriculture.
• The Health Pooled Fund, improving access to sexual and reproductive health services.
• UNFPA, UNICEF, Médecins Sans Frontières, Oxfam Canada, and others in delivering emergency health, nutrition, and protection services.

In 2025, Canada also allocated an additional $1 million to the International Committee of the Red Cross to support Sudanese refugees arriving in South Sudan’s Upper Nile State, part of a broader $103.7 million regional response.

7. What is World Vision Canada doing to help?

At World Vision Canada, we believe that all children deserve to experience life in all its fullness—even in fragile contexts like South Sudan. We turn our outrage at the injustices the children of South Sudan face into action for good.

Some of the highlights of World Vision Canada’s work in South Sudan include:

• 2,238 malnourished children were enrolled in nutritional programs and monitored to ensure they are growing healthy
• 40,394 children and adults learned about the importance of water safety, proper sanitation and hygiene to stay healthy
• 12,000 individuals including children have safe water for drinking and cooking thanks to new or repaired water sources
• 204 latrines in homes, schools or the community are providing improved access to sanitation for children and families
• 45,597 farmers received livestock, seeds or tools to improve productivity and better provide for their children and families
• 1,142 children and adults received nutritious fruits and vegetables grown in community, school or family gardens
• 4,900 people received daily essentials like shelter, cooking sets and hygiene kits, protecting families during emergencies.

8. How can I help the people of South Sudan?

You cannot sponsor a child in South Sudan—but you can still help.

Real impact™ works in unstable countries whose governments don't protect the rights of its people. Your donation ensures we are able to help in unstable situations like South Sudan to bring immediate relief and also work toward long-term solutions. Your monthly gift will provide things like clean water, education, food, health care and shelter in South Sudan and other dangerous countries.

This article was written by Melanie Ramos in 2020 and updated by Wolston Lobo in August 2025.