Statement by Anna Mutavati, UN Women Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, after a five-day mission in South Sudan, calling for peace and upholding the 35% quota for women’s representation as violence, displacement and food insecurity escalate.
“Nearly 60 per cent – 223,641 – of those displaced in South Sudan since the start of the year are women and girls, an average of 104 every hour, as fighting intensifies and an estimated 375,825[1] people are forced to flee their homes.
“Most displacements took place in Jonglei State in the eastern region of the country, where around 174,197 women and girls have been displaced[2].
“Women and girls are among those who have been killed in massacres and targeted attacks. In March, women and girls were among at least 169 people killed in a single attack in Ruweng Administrative Area. This followed the killings of women and girls in Jonglei State and Unity State in January and February – both of which have become hotspots of violence.
“The destruction and looting of health facilities in Jonglei State has cut women and girls off from access to critical healthcare. Women are giving birth without any medical care – with extreme risk of death, in a country that already has one of the highest maternal mortality rates globally.
“Some 5 million women and girls in South Sudan need humanitarian assistance this year[3]. Among them are 2.5 million women and girls who need gender-based violence services[4]. Even before this latest escalation, more than two-thirds women and girls across the country reported experiencing such violence.
“As the lean season begins, women and girls are already reporting eating wild plants to survive, with some going days without anything to eat. We are already seeing an increase in malnutrition. For those displaced, the threat of sexual violence is ever-present as they search for food and collect water and firewood.”
“The war in neighbouring Sudan has resulted in 2.4 million Sudanese refugees and South Sudanese returnees arriving in South Sudan. This is on top of 2.6 million people displaced inside the country – adding immense pressure to a country already struggling to sustain its population.
“UN Women is on the ground in South Sudan, working through women-led organizations to deliver life-saving support, including shelter and access to health, psychosocial, legal, livelihood and protection services. We are advancing women’s participation in governance, peace, and security processes, because no pathway to sustainable peace is more clearly proven than women’s leadership and meaningful inclusion in conflict resolution.
“UN Women calls for sustained and flexible funding for women-led organizations, as well as safe access to education for girls, food and livelihood support for women-headed households.
“We call for the adoption of the second National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security and the full and accelerated implementation of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS). This includes upholding the minimum 35 per cent quota for women’s representation in government and delivering on all gender-related provisions.
“Finally, as the country moves toward the 2026 elections, we urge a credible, inclusive and transparent electoral roadmap that guarantees women’s full, equal and meaningful participation at every stage.”
[[1]](https://reliefweb.int/#_ednref1) IOM DTM South Sudan Event Tracking Reports #98 #100 #104: 375,825 people displaced between 1 January and 31 March 2026
[2] https://dtm.iom.int/reports/reports-south-sudan-event-tracking-report-jonglei-state-103-01-january-31-march-2026
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