(MAIWUT, SOUTH SUDAN) – An estimated 2,000 travellers use six mobility routes connecting Maiwut County in Upper Nile State to Ethiopia’s Gambela Region and other parts of South Sudan every day, according to a new population mobility mapping report by the International Organization for Migration.
The exercise, conducted from 29th May to 3rd June 2026, was carried out in collaboration with the National Public Health Institute and the Maiwut County Health Department. It was prompted by the Marburg virus disease outbreak reported in Ethiopia in November 2025 .
The report identified four primary and two secondary mobility routes linking Maiwut to Gambela and onward destinations including Juba and Malakal.
Approximately 500 travellers use the Pagak to Maiwut corridor daily, while the remaining 75% use other routes associated with informal crossings .
Six priority points of entry were profiled: Pagak, Phil, Jekow, Wadesa, Maiwut Airstrip and Pagak Airstrip. Pagak and Phil recorded the highest estimated movements, with about 500 and 350 travellers per day respectively.
The continued use of informal crossings by traders, displaced populations and people seeking health care in Ethiopia highlights the need to extend disease surveillance and preparedness measures beyond formal border posts.
The exercise further identified 27 congregation points, including markets, health facilities, schools, churches, checkpoints, cattle camps, military camps and fishing camps.
Palang and Pagak markets each received an estimated 400 people daily. Katen and Uleng checkpoints recorded about 250 and 300 travellers respectively. Cattle and fishing camps recorded movements of up to 500 people daily .
Key drivers of mobility include trade, health-care seeking, education, refugee and returnee movements, and conflict-related displacement.
The report recommends strengthening disease surveillance and screening at points of entry and along major mobility corridors, expanding community-based surveillance at informal crossings, improving infection prevention and control alongside water, sanitation and hygiene readiness at priority health facilities, and delivering targeted risk communication to mobile and border communities.
It also calls for stronger cross-border coordination, information sharing and referral mechanisms between South Sudan and Ethiopia to support early detection of potential Marburg outbreaks and other public health emergencies.
The mapping exercise involved 21 participants representing immigration, customs, border security, county health authorities, local government, community leaders and implementing partners.
The report noted a gender imbalance among key informants, with 20 males and one female participating, which may have created a bias toward male-centred mobility routes.
Maiwut County, with an estimated population of 200,556, is a major transit and trade corridor along the South Sudan-Ethiopia border. Its formal and informal crossings facilitate significant movement for trade, livelihoods and access to services.
