Trauma wards in South Sudan are struggling to cope with a growing flow of patients wounded by gunfire, explosions and other violence as renewed fighting pushes the country’s already fragile health system closer to its limits.
At Juba’s military hospital, medical teams are treating critically injured patients with little warning of what the next emergency will bring. The facility, supported by the International Committee of the Red Cross, handles large numbers of weapon-related injuries, including severe wounds to the head, chest and abdomen.
The pressure has intensified as fighting between government forces and opposition groups has increased, particularly in Jonglei and other parts of the country. More than 200,000 people have been displaced by the latest violence, while political tensions between President Salva Kiir and former vice-president Riek Machar continue to threaten South Sudan’s fragile peace arrangement.
In the first six months of 2026, 266 injured people were evacuated from conflict areas to the Juba facility. Some severely wounded patients require several operations and large quantities of blood, placing additional pressure on limited supplies. The hospital has at times had only about 15 units of blood available, while a single critically injured patient can consume a substantial share of that stock.
The trauma department has also operated at more than 160% of its bed capacity during peak periods. Medical workers are expanding beds and rehabilitation services, but demand is rising faster than the system can respond.
South Sudan faces another major test as it approaches elections scheduled for December, with renewed violence raising fears that the country could slide back into a wider conflict.
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