Since the start of the year, an escalation of conflict in Jonglei state and surrounding areas has forced more than 300,000 people into displacement.
Most fled their homes with only the clothes they were wearing and have no access to food, shelter, or healthcare; women and girls, particularly, are disproportionately affected and are being forced to bear the brunt of the crisis.
South Sudan, one of the world’s poorest countries, became the world’s newest country in 2011, gaining independence from Sudan. Just two years into their independence, civil war erupted. The peace deal drawn up in 2018 is still in place, but outbreaks of violence, especially in the northern states of Jonglei and Unity, continue.
“Beyond the statistics, what is most heartbreaking is the level of emotional and physical exhaustion among displaced women and girls. Many are carrying the burden of caregiving while navigating trauma, hunger, uncertainty, and repeated displacement,” said Grace Dorong, Founder of our partner organisation Root of Generations, which is supporting displaced women and girls on the frontlines of the crisis.
“We are seeing women walking for days with children, elderly relatives, and limited belongings while struggling with grief, fear, and loss. Some have witnessed violence, lost family members, or been separated from loved ones,” she added. “The cumulative psychological impact is immense, yet mental health and psychosocial support services remain severely limited.”
Grace Dorong is the Founder of Root of Generations, one of The Circle’s grassroots partners in South Sudan.
In addition to healthcare challenges and accelerating hunger, women and girls fleeing violence also face serious protection risks. Gender-based violence, including sexual violence, exploitation, harassment, and intimate partner violence, remains widespread.
“Many women travel long distances without protection, often lacking access to food, shelter, sanitation facilities, or safe spaces. Adolescent girls are particularly vulnerable to abuse, survival sex, trafficking risks and exploitation due to increasing economic desperation among families,” added Grace.
The team at Root of Generations has been doing incredible work on the ground, providing many vulnerable women and girls in South Sudan with basic essentials, trauma-healing activities, psycho-social support, guidance and counselling to help them get on their feet again.
Grace is clear, however, that responses must move beyond emergency assistance; “prioritizing protection, dignity, mental health support, women’s leadership, and community-led solutions that restore agency and resilience among affected populations”.
She also points to the strength that many women and girls are finding: “Women and girls are not only victims of this crisis; they are also leading survival, caregiving, peacebuilding, and recovery efforts within their communities despite extremely difficult conditions.”
Root of Generations is a women–led, youth-centred grassroots organisation striving to create a world where women and girls are protected, cared for and able to realise their full potential. With the support of the Circle, Grace and her team aim to inspire and empower more girls and women, especially in the rural areas of South Sudan, by providing them with the tools and opportunities to thrive.
Read more about Grace’s story and how it all started here.
Sources:
https://news.un.org/en/story/2026/05/116751
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