Armed groups have looted and set fire to a Save the Children field office and completely destroyed a primary healthcare centre in Walgak, Akobo County, Jonglei State, the international aid organization announced Thursday.

The attacks forced Save the Children to indefinitely suspend all operations in the area and evacuate its 30 staff members.

The incidents follow the seizure of four agency vehicles last week.

No staff were injured, and there were no reported casualties in the surrounding community, though the number of people fleeing the violence continues to climb daily.

More than 235,000 people have been displaced across South Sudan in the past month amid escalating clashes.

On the same day, the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) announced it had recaptured Walgak in Akobo West from Sudan People’s Liberation Army-in-Opposition (SPLA-IO) forces.

The destruction has severed critical services for hundreds of children and families in one of South Sudan’s most food-insecure regions.

Fighting has surged since late December, particularly in Jonglei State—the country’s largest—and neighbouring Upper Nile, driving mass displacement.

Many displaced people have arrived in nearby areas with minimal access to clean water, sanitation, or medical care, creating urgent humanitarian needs.

The United Nations has warned that the violence will likely worsen already severe food insecurity and is straining cholera treatment centres, which are now overwhelmed.

Save the Children has emergency relief supplies prepositioned and ready for deployment once safe access is restored.

Chris Nyamandi, Save the Children’s country director in South Sudan, described the security situation as rapidly deteriorating despite ongoing dialogue with authorities and community leaders.

“We have had no choice but to indefinitely suspend our operations in Walgak following repeated attacks, despite the devastating impact this will have on families and children who depend on us for essential services,” Nyamandi said.

“When humanitarian facilities are targeted, it is civilians—especially children—who bear the heaviest consequences. These acts are unacceptable and must end.”

He urged all parties to the conflict to immediately cease attacks on aid infrastructure, uphold international humanitarian law, and ensure safe, unimpeded access for humanitarian workers.

Save the Children called on warring factions to protect civilian lives and humanitarian assets, emphasizing that continued assaults only deepen suffering in already vulnerable communities.