U.S. warns South Sudan it will use ‘all tools available’ including sanctions over aid obstruction

The United States said on Sunday, September 20, 2026, that it will use “all the tools available,” including sanctions and visa restrictions, to address what it describes as the obstruction of humanitarian assistance in South Sudan.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the U.S. Bureau of African Affairs accused South Sudan’s transitional government of failing to reduce the costs and risks faced by humanitarian organizations working to assist people in need.

Washington said officials at national, state and local levels have obstructed humanitarian assistance and treated it as a source of revenue.

“The United States has, and continues to be, the largest provider of humanitarian assistance to the people of South Sudan,” the statement said.

The U.S. government also urged South Sudan’s transitional authorities to address what it described as the man-made drivers of the country’s humanitarian crisis, including political violence and the failure to use public revenue appropriately to provide basic services, respond to humanitarian needs and pay public-sector salaries.

Washington warned that the government’s conduct toward humanitarian organizations will continue to influence U.S. decisions about where to direct foreign assistance resources.

“We will use all the tools available to us, including sanctions and visa restrictions,” the Bureau of African Affairs said, adding that the measures are intended to address what it described as impunity that has contributed to making South Sudan one of the most dangerous places in the world for humanitarian workers.

The statement adds to growing pressure on South Sudan’s transitional government over the security and operating environment facing humanitarian organizations.

The United States remains a major provider of humanitarian assistance to South Sudan, where millions of people depend on aid amid conflict, displacement, food insecurity and limited access to basic services.