About 100,000 people have fled a military offensive in South Sudan, crossing into Ethiopia, the UNICEF said.

An evacuation order by South Sudan People’s Defence Forces earlier this month forced around 100,000 people to flee the opposition-held town of Akobo into neighboring Ethiopia, according to UNICEF on Tuesday.

Akobo, located in the eastern state of Jonglei, has emerged as the latest flashpoint as clashes between government and opposition forces push South Sudan closer to renewed civil war. The army ordered the evacuation of the town, including foreign aid agencies, on March 6.

While the military says it has since taken control of Akobo, accounts from the ground remain conflicting and difficult to verify due to limited communications. A security source told AFP that troops seized the town’s barracks and destroyed nearby buildings to create a buffer zone, though no official statement has been released.

UNICEF warned that “violence and conflict are raging” across Jonglei, worsening conditions for civilians—especially children. The agency said about 100,000 people have crossed into Ethiopia, while others have fled to safer parts of Jonglei and Upper Nile.

The humanitarian situation is deteriorating rapidly. Patients have fled Akobo’s hospital, once considered a safe refuge, after it was reportedly looted and shut down. UNICEF also highlighted “worryingly high” malnutrition rates among displaced children.

So far this year, 28 health and nutrition facilities in Jonglei have been destroyed, looted, or forced to close, even as the region battles a cholera outbreak.

Since gaining independence in 2011, South Sudan has struggled with instability, poverty, and corruption. A 2018 power-sharing deal between President Salva Kiir and opposition leader Riek Machar has been steadily unraveling since early 2025, raising fears of a return to full-scale war.