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They urged immediate steps to protect civilians, facilitate humanitarian access, and enable internally displaced persons to return in safety and dignity.
“South Sudan is at a critical point,” the expert group said. “All parties must immediately cease hostilities and engage in meaningful dialogue to prevent further escalation of the conflict and protect civilians.”
Jonglei State was at the epicenter
More than 267,000 people were reported to have been displaced in Jonglei state alone by 2026.
Women represent the majority of refugees, while children under the age of 18 make up a significant portion.
Refugee populations face acute food insecurity, lack of housing, and limited access to essential services. Conflict and climate shocks have also disrupted education, impacting more than 300 schools and around 300,000 students.
“The reported destruction of water sources, as well as the looting and burning of homes, hospitals, schools and places of worship, is deeply worrying. If verified, this constitutes a serious violation of international humanitarian law and may constitute a war crime,” the experts said.
Independent human rights experts receive no salary for their work and are not employed by the UN.
New opioid treatment and support guidelines
World Health Organization, WHOannounced updates to guidelines for the treatment of opioid addiction and community management of opioid overdoses.
Opioids continue to be the largest cause of fatal drug-related overdoses. With around 600,000 deaths caused by drug use globally
approximately 450,000 are due to opioid use, according to the World Health Organization.
Affordable, ethical, high-quality and evidence-based support and treatment is critical for people with opioid dependence or at risk of opioid overdose, WHO says because less than 10 percent of the 64 million people worldwide with substance use disorders are currently receiving treatment.
Continuous use of methadone is recommended
WHO issued updated advice regarding the treatment of opioid addiction, and reiterated that medications such as methadone and oral buprenorphine should continue to be administered by trained health professionals as part of appropriate medical care.
Now they also include a new option: long-acting injectable buprenorphine, which is recommended with caution while more evidence is gathered.
A full guidance document, with evidence, rationale, practical suggestions and research gaps, is being finalized and is expected by late 2026 or early 2027.
The humanitarian situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo continues to deteriorate
Humanitarian conditions in the eastern provinces of Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu continue to deteriorate due to ongoing violence, UN spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said on Thursday.
In Ituri province alone, the UN humanitarian agency reported at least 30 people were killed on Wednesday in an armed attack in Bafwakoa, in Mambasa Region, bringing the number of civilians killed there to more than 100 since March 11 and the number of people kidnapped in the same period to 390.
The violence has triggered a new wave of displacement, adding to the more than 50,000 people already displaced in the region, and caused nine health facilities in the Mambasa Region to suspend operations since March 11.
A new wave of displacement
In South Kivu province, UN agencies reported that at least 20 civilians had been killed and around ten others injured in clashes since March 23 in the Uvira, Kalehe and Mwenga regions.
In neighboring North Kivu, fighting in the Masisi region displaced around 6,000 people between March 28 and 29, adding to the more than 180,000 people already displaced there.
Despite the insecurity, UN partners continue to provide assistance. However, humanitarian response plans in Congo remain critically underfunded. The $1.4 billion Humanitarian Appeal is only 30 percent funded, with more than $421 million received so far.
