Following violent clashes in early February 2022 in and around Agok, Abyei Special Administrative Area (ASAA), residents fled north to Abyei town and south to Twic County in South Sudan’s Warrap State. An estimation of 70,000 people displaced; the majority fled to Abyei town, while others sought refuge in areas further south, with more than 20,400 people registered in Twic County in Warrap State as of March 2022. In a region already lacking food, water, and healthcare services, and prone to recurrent disease outbreaks, the influx of displaced populations placed an additional burden on the local population. The situation was further worsened by heavy floods in the past 4 years, particularly affecting the west side of the County, worsening the dire situation regarding food security.



In March 2022, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) relocated its activities from Agok to Abyei town and Twic County to meet the urgent needs of the newly displaced people, predominantly women and children. At the crisis onset, MSF organized distributions of food, shelter, and non-food items, ran mobile clinics in makeshift camps, and constructed water points and latrines.



Two years after the displacement from Agok, the needs of those affected remain largely unmet, with substantial gaps in the delivery of humanitarian assistance. These challenges are compounded by funding cuts, violence waves, and the effects of the crisis in Sudan, which has led to an influx of returnees from Sudan to these areas. Abyei (ASAA) is a disputed territory status between Sudan and South Sudan leaves the area in limbo, with unresolved conflicts and a long-lasting gap in institutional funding rendering essential services almost nonexistent.



While MSF continues to provide major healthcare and hospital services, there is an urgent need for additional support from other humanitarian actors in food, water, sanitation, and shelter, especially with the impending seasons of floods as well as violence events that further deteriorate the situation. In the past year alone, our teams supported 50,000 people and conducted 23,000 emergency consultations.



Recently, the area has experienced another wave of violence. In January 2024, our teams treated over 100 patients in Abyei town, where MSF is providing emergency and life-saving secondary healthcare. The number and severity of casualties have stretched our medical personnel and equipment. The renewed violence has led to deaths, serious injuries, destruction of property and livelihoods, and another huge wave of displacement. During the recent violence, we lost two staff members who, although off-duty and not targeted as MSF staff, became victims of the violence within the communities.