A 75-year-old grandmother, Nyanit Jany, has recounted her harrowing experience during the Walgak attack in Jonglei's Greater Akobo area in February 2026. Nyanit stayed behind to care for several young children whose mothers had gone fishing, but as fighting reached the area, she was unable to flee with the children due to her age. A female neighbour eventually took the children to safety, and shortly after, soldiers arrived at Nyanit's home in a pickup truck.
Nyanit said the soldiers immediately started shooting at her, missing her with the first shot but hitting her left leg with the second shot, and then shooting her again in her right leg. She lost consciousness and regained it to find her house on fire. Despite her injuries, she crawled out of the burning house to escape the flames, and the soldiers were still outside. One soldier told the others to finish her off, but she begged them not to kill her and asked them to allow her children to come and find her.
The soldiers eventually left Nyanit bleeding outside, and that night, her children returned and took her to Wec Jal, where hundreds of civilians had sought safety. Her nephew later found a vehicle to take her to Akobo for treatment at Akobo Teaching Hospital. Doctors treated her severe gunshot wounds but told her that her left leg could not be saved and would have to be amputated. The operation was carried out, but Nyanit's ordeal was far from over.
On March 8, 2026, civilians were again ordered to leave Akobo following an evacuation order announced by the South Sudan People's Defence Forces military spokesperson two days earlier. Nyanit, along with other patients from the hospital, was evacuated to Tiergol, a town near the South Sudan-Ethiopia border. The International Committee of the Red Cross later arranged her evacuation to Juba on March 9 for further medical treatment.
In Juba, doctors told Nyanit that the earlier amputation had developed complications and needed to be redone. Her other leg was eventually amputated as well. Nyanit said the injuries and amputations have left her in constant pain and struggling to meet basic needs. She now relies on humanitarian assistance to survive. Her story reflects the lasting toll of fighting on civilians caught in conflict.
Nyanit is now appealing for assistance from humanitarian organisations, well-wishers, and other supporters. She needs food, medical care, and other essential assistance to recover and live with dignity. Her ordeal serves as a reminder of the devastating impact of conflict on civilians, particularly women and children.
The incident highlights the urgent need for humanitarian assistance in the region, and Nyanit's story is a testament to the resilience of civilians in the face of conflict.
Key points
- A 75-year-old grandmother was shot twice and lost both legs during the Walgak attack in Jonglei's Greater Akobo area.
- Nyanit Jany was forced to undergo multiple amputations and is now in need of food, medical care, and other essential assistance.
- Her story reflects the lasting toll of fighting on civilians caught in conflict, many of whom are forced to flee their homes while injured or undergoing medical treatment.
