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South Sudan
UN Raises Alarm After Massacre
The United Nations (UN) says over 170 civilians were killed in renewed violence in northern South Sudan over the past 48 hours, due to surging clashes in Abiemnom County near the border with Sudan. The UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) peacekeepers took in nearly 1,000 civilians at their base, where they provided emergency care to the wounded. The UN pointed to the sharp resurgence of violence in the country in recent months, particularly in Jonglei state, where fighting between supporters of President Salva Kiir and those of opposition leader Riek Machar has intensified, despite the peace agreement that both sides signed in 2018 to end the civil war that began in 2013. Civilians are bearing the brunt of a spike in indiscriminate attacks, including aerial bombardments, deliberate killings, abductions, and conflict-related sexual violence. Some 280,000 people have been displaced and humanitarian workers targeted during the clashes in Jonglei in the past two months.
This map depicts Jonglei displacement and conflict-affected locations in South Sudan on February 19th. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: ACAPS
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France
France Boosting Nuclear Program
French President Emmanuel Macron pledged yesterday to expand his country’s nuclear arsenal and capabilities while extending protections to allies across the continent of Europe. Europe’s only other nuclear-armed country is the United Kingdom, with which France has committed to closer coordination. France will also hold joint defensive exercises between its nuclear forces and the conventional forces of Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Greece, the Netherlands, Poland, and Sweden. France could deploy nuclear-armed fighter jets to partner countries. France has historically taken a highly independent path in the development of its own nuclear deterrence. It doesn’t currently have the arsenal to match the protections extended by the nuclear deterrence of the United States, but, in light of concerns over the United States’ commitment to joint defense, France’s new policy closes the gap towards building European-led self-defense.
This map depicts countries in Europe with which France has agreed to extend its nuclear deterrence, potentially through the deployment of nuclear armed fighters to partner nations. Click on the map to learn more.
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Somalia
Drought Worsens Hunger Crisis
An estimated 6.5 million people in Somalia are facing severe hunger, according to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), a United Nations-backed initiative that monitors food insecurity and malnutrition. The crisis is driven by prolonged drought, ongoing conflict, and a major decline in humanitarian aid. Two consecutive rainy seasons have failed, contributing to widespread crop failure and livestock deaths. Since more than 60 percent of the population relies on pastoralism, these losses are stripping families of both their income and their main food source, forcing many to leave their homes. Even if the next rainy season is average, around 5.5 million people are still expected to be at IPC Phase 3 and above by the end of 2026. Global aid cuts have forced humanitarian organizations to scale back essential programs, including food assistance, healthcare, nutrition services, and water and sanitation support. The UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) has also warned that without new funding, it may be forced to suspend humanitarian assistance in Somalia as early as April.
This map depicts the projected acute malnutrition levels in Somalia from April to June of 2026. Click on the map to learn more.
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Q: Spanning around 18,600 miles (30,000 km) and 17 countries, what is longest drivable road in the world?
A: Pan-American Highway
The Pan-American Highway is a vast network of roads that stretches about 19,000 miles (about 30,000 km) from Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, United States, in the northernmost part of North America to Ushuaia, Argentina, at the southern tip of South America. The highway connects 14 countries: Canada, the United States, Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Chile, and Argentina. As the world’s longest drivable road, it is a premier adventure route, though interrupted by the 60-mile (96 km) dense, roadless Darién Gap in southern Panama. No road traverses the Gap, and no car ferries have operated in the area for decades; drivers often opt to send their car by cargo ship from one country to the other.
Source
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Q: In what rocky country did the first known prehistoric marble sculpture work emerge in the Late Neolithic era (5300-4500 BC)?
Stay tuned for the answer to today’s question in tomorrow’s DailyGeo.
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