ReliefWeb

Highlights

• South Sudan could be facing its toughest year yet as a declaration of famine is expected by 2019

• UN ambassador expresses concerns over the Cessation of Hostilities agreement in September

• Plans for a new state capital to make the seat of government more accessible are under consideration

• Rebel leader Riek Machar has returned to Juba more than two years after the collapse of the 2016 peace deal

Key Developments

• The Human Rights Watch has released a report detailing violent attacks and counterinsurgencies in the Western Region of South Sudan. Tens of thousands of civilians have been forced into United Nations protection sites in Wau to escape conflict over rebel-held areas.

• As food is used as a weapon of war, many regions in South Sudan are reaching famine-levels of food shortages. Siege warfare and blockades against emergency relief are endangering efforts to fight famine, and 1.2 million are facing starvation as civilian populations become targets of war.

• The fragile peace deal between President Kiir’s government and rebel forces is treated with scepticism as violence continues in many areas across the war-torn Western Region. Gross human rights abuses are being reported, and hostilities between warring factions have shown no sign of ceasing.