South Sudan is on the brink. A dangerous surge in violence is threatening to drag the country back into full-blown civil war, putting millions of children in immediate danger.
In recent months, clashes between government forces and opposition groups have erupted around Juba, Western Equatoria, and the Upper Nile states. Since February, more than 50,000 people have been forced from their homes. At least 10,000 have already fled to Ethiopia.
Years of brutal conflict, combined with catastrophic floods and famine, have pushed 4.5 million children into crisis. They're at growing risk of malnutrition, gender-based violence, and the collapse of their education. Many are already displaced, and over 476,000 child refugees are now seeking shelter in overcrowded camps after fleeing the horrors in Sudan.
Now, as tensions rise again, there's a chilling risk: children being recruited and used by armed groups.
“Children who should be learning in the classroom or playing with their friends are instead being stripped of their rights and being forced again to bear the burdens of war. We know from experience that as conflict rises, so too does the recruitment and use of children in war. Those children face severe challenges in all areas of their life, often suffering from psychological problems such as post-traumatic stress disorder.
“No child should have to experience war, whether they are in the crosshairs of a gun, or the one holding it. War Child will do everything in its power to protect children from recruitment and further harm. But parties involved in this conflict must also meet their obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law to keep children and civilians safe.” Zerihun Yohannes, War Child Country Director in South Sudan
What War Child is doing
In the heart of the crisis, War Child is on the ground, delivering mental health support, education, and child protection services to children in some of South Sudan’s most remote and dangerous areas.
In 2024 alone, we’ve reunited 689 children formerly associated with armed groups with their families. But with the violence escalating, many more are at risk.
This is a critical moment. Without action, South Sudan could spiral into another devastating war, one where children are the first to suffer and the last to recover.
