Over 100 women, girls displaced every hour in South Sudan, UN says

More than 100 women and girls have been displaced every hour in South Sudan since the start of the year as violence intensifies and food insecurity worsens, UN Women said Monday.

In a statement after a five-day mission to South Sudan, Anna Mutavati, UN Women regional director for East and Southern Africa, said nearly 60% of the 375,825 people displaced this year, or 223,641, are women and girls, averaging 104 every hour.

Most displacements have occurred in Jonglei State, where around 174,197 women and girls have been uprooted.

Mutavati warned that women and girls are facing growing risks from killings, sexual violence, hunger, and collapsing health services.

"As the lean season begins, women and girls are already reporting eating wild plants to survive, with some days going without anything to eat," she said.

The agency said some 5 million women and girls in South Sudan need humanitarian assistance this year, including 2.5 million requiring gender-based violence services.

Mutavati also called for the full implementation of South Sudan's peace agreement, including maintaining the minimum 35% quota for women's representation in government.

She urged sustained support for women-led organizations and called for "a credible, inclusive and transparent electoral roadmap" ahead of 2026 elections that ensures women's "full, equal and meaningful participation."