AKOBO, South Sudan (AP) — Wiyuach Makuach sat on her bed in a dimly lit ward of a hospital near South Sudan's border with Ethiopia and rested her remaining arm in her lap as she recalled the airstrike that took her other arm and nearly killed her.
“Everything was on fire,” she said in an interview at the hospital in the border town of Akobo where she was being treated for her injuries.
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Wiyuach Makuach, 60, who lost her arm in an airstrike on a hospital operated by Doctors Without Borders (MSF), sits in a hospital bed in Akobo, South Sudan, Sunday, May 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Joseph Falzetta)
Wiyuach Makuach, 60 years old, who lost her arm in an airstrike on a hospital operated by Doctors Without Borders (MSF), sit in a hospital bed in Akobo, South Sudan, Sunday, May 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Joseph Falzetta)
International Committee of the Red Cross doctors (ICRC), operates on a man wounded by an airstrike at a field hospital in Akobo, South Sudan, Friday, May 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Joseph Falzetta)
Medical staff with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and South Sudan Red Cross carry a weapon-wounded patient in Akobo, South Sudan, Saturday, May 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Joseph Falzetta)
Medical staff with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and South Sudan Red Cross, move a weapon-wounded patient to an ambulance in Akobo, South Sudan, Saturday, May 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Joseph Falzetta)
Medical staff with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), wait for weapon-wounded patients in Akobo, South Sudan, Saturday, May 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Joseph Falzetta)
The bombing happened on May 3 at another hospital in the northern community of Fangak where she had traveled to be with her 25-year-old son while he sought treatment for tuberculosis. A series of strikes there, including several at the Doctors Without Borders facility, killed seven people.
“I ran outside and started rubbing mud on myself to stop the burning,” Makuach said.
Makuach, 60, is just one of the dozens of civilians who aid groups say have been killed or badly injured by airstrikes in recent weeks as South Sudan’s army clashes with militia groups across the country. The army says it targets only combatants, and has not commented on civilian casualties.
“The army displaced us and our families into the bush and that’s when we decided we would fight back,” said Gatkuoth Wie, 24, who was wounded while fighting in northern Jonglei State.
The fighting has led to U.N. warnings that South Sudan is again on the brink of civil war. Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration is seeking to send to South Sudan a group of eight deportees from Cuba, Vietnam and elsewhere who have been convicted in the U.S. of serious crimes, sparking a legal fight that has reached the Supreme Court.
The fighting has uprooted some 65,000 people within South Sudan in the past three months and sent more than 100,000 others fleeing into four neighboring countries, the U.N.'s refugee agency said Tuesday. The U.N. is bracing for a much bigger exodus if it doesn't stop, said Mamadou Dian Balde, the refugee agency's regional director.
“We really hope that the situation is going to stabilize. But I don’t think people are going to listen to us,” said Balde, who was visiting Washington to speak to World Bank officials, lawmakers and others in search of funding. “So we better be ready."
Meanwhile, many of those wounded in the South Sudan clashes have been transported to Akobo, where the International Committee for the Red Cross has set up a temporary surgical response. Others have been stranded for days by the fighting.
Doctor Bjarte Andersen, a surgeon working with the ICRC, says that the fighting has made it difficult to transport patients that have been critically wounded. “We know of one person who has died waiting for transportation, but there are probably more,” he said.
“The most critical cases cannot even be moved, they are not likely to survive the journey,” said Christina Bartulec, who oversees the organization’s medical operation in Akobo.
The ICRC does not track which patients are combatants and which are civilians. Most of the people brought to their facility are young men, several of whom told The Associated Press that they were engaged in fighting.
In the past month, however, an increasing number of the victims have been women and a few children, according to hospital staff.
One is Kuaynin Bol, 15, who was gravely injured by a blast as he lay asleep in his home. Surgeons have removed bone fragments from his brain and performed four operations on his leg, which was badly broken.
Simmering tensions between the government and opposition groups erupted in March when a local militia called the White Army overran a military barracks in Nasir, a town in the country’s northeast.
The government pinned responsibility for the attack on First Vice President Riek Machar, placing him under house arrest and detaining other members of his SPLM-IO party. It also brought in Ugandan forces to support a sweeping military offensive against opposition troops and community militias across the country.
That offensive centered on Upper Nile State and allegedly involved use of improvised incendiary weapons that Human Rights Watch has said killed at least 58 people, including children.
In May, the fighting spread to northern Jonglei State where Fangak is located, a region previously unaffected by the violence, after the government alleged several barges were hijacked by opposition forces there.
Isaac Pariel, a member of Machar's opposition party who is the local chairman in Fangak of the government's Relief and Rehabilitation Commission, said that at least 25 civilians have been killed this month. But the true toll is likely higher, as much of the fighting has taken place in remote areas that are inaccessible to medical workers.
One bombardment in the village of Wichmon on May 15 killed 12 people including 8 children, according to local authorities and one eyewitness. The Associated Press was unable to independently verify those figures.
The government has not officially claimed responsibility for the strikes.
Army spokesman General Lul Ruai Koang told The Associated Press he was not authorized to comment on “ongoing military operations across the country.”
The violence has been devastating for civilians already reeling from successive humanitarian crises.
Much of the fighting has taken place in South Sudan’s Greater Upper Nile region, a vast floodplain that in recent years has been ravaged by extreme weather, disease, and severe food insecurity.
“The people here are moving all the time, just during the night,” said William Nyuon, a Fangak resident. “They fear the plane will come and bomb them again.”
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Wiyuach Makuach, 60, who lost her arm in an airstrike on a hospital operated by Doctors Without Borders (MSF), sits in a hospital bed in Akobo, South Sudan, Sunday, May 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Joseph Falzetta)
Wiyuach Makuach, 60 years old, who lost her arm in an airstrike on a hospital operated by Doctors Without Borders (MSF), sit in a hospital bed in Akobo, South Sudan, Sunday, May 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Joseph Falzetta)
International Committee of the Red Cross doctors (ICRC), operates on a man wounded by an airstrike at a field hospital in Akobo, South Sudan, Friday, May 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Joseph Falzetta)
Medical staff with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and South Sudan Red Cross carry a weapon-wounded patient in Akobo, South Sudan, Saturday, May 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Joseph Falzetta)
Medical staff with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and South Sudan Red Cross, move a weapon-wounded patient to an ambulance in Akobo, South Sudan, Saturday, May 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Joseph Falzetta)
Medical staff with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), wait for weapon-wounded patients in Akobo, South Sudan, Saturday, May 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Joseph Falzetta)
A group of Buddhist monks and their rescue dog are striding single file down country roads and highways across the South, captivating Americans nationwide and inspiring droves of locals to greet them along their route.
In their flowing saffron and ocher robes, the men are walking for peace. It's a meditative tradition more common in South Asian countries, and it's resonating now in the U.S., seemingly as a welcome respite from the conflict, trauma and politics dividing the nation.
Their journey began Oct. 26, 2025, at a Vietnamese Buddhist temple in Texas, and is scheduled to end in mid-February in Washington, D.C., where they will ask Congress to recognize Buddha’s day of birth and enlightenment as a federal holiday. Beyond promoting peace, their highest priority is connecting with people along the way.
“My hope is, when this walk ends, the people we met will continue practicing mindfulness and find peace,” said the Venerable Bhikkhu Pannakara, the group’s soft-spoken leader who is making the trek barefoot. He teaches about mindfulness, forgiveness and healing at every stop.
Preferring to sleep each night in tents pitched outdoors, the monks have been surprised to see their message transcend ideologies, drawing huge crowds into churchyards, city halls and town squares across six states. Documenting their journey on social media, they — and their dog, Aloka — have racked up millions of followers online. On Saturday, thousands thronged in Columbia, South Carolina, where the monks chanted on the steps of the State House and received a proclamation from the city's mayor, Daniel Rickenmann.
At their stop Thursday in Saluda, South Carolina, Audrie Pearce joined the crowd lining Main Street. She had driven four hours from her village of Little River, and teared up as Pannakara handed her a flower.
“There’s something traumatic and heart-wrenching happening in our country every day,” said Pearce, who describes herself as spiritual, but not religious. “I looked into their eyes and I saw peace. They’re putting their bodies through such physical torture and yet they radiate peace.”
Hailing from Theravada Buddhist monasteries across the globe, the 19 monks began their 2,300 mile (3,700 kilometer) trek at the Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana Center in Fort Worth.
Their journey has not been without peril. On Nov. 19, as the monks were walking along U.S. Highway 90 near Dayton, Texas, their escort vehicle was hit by a distracted truck driver, injuring two monks. One of them lost his leg, reducing the group to 18.
This is Pannakara's first trek in the U.S., but he's walked across several South Asian countries, including a 112-day journey across India in 2022 where he first encountered Aloka, an Indian Pariah dog whose name means divine light in Sanskrit.
Then a stray, the dog followed him and other monks from Kolkata in eastern India all the way to the Nepal border. At one point, he fell critically ill and Pannakara scooped him up in his arms and cared for him until he recovered. Now, Aloka inspires him to keep going when he feels like giving up.
“I named him light because I want him to find the light of wisdom,” Pannakara said.
The monk's feet are now heavily bandaged because he's stepped on rocks, nails and glass along the way. His practice of mindfulness keeps him joyful despite the pain from these injuries, he said.
Still, traversing the southeast United States has presented unique challenges, and pounding pavement day after day has been brutal.
“In India, we can do shortcuts through paddy fields and farms, but we can’t do that here because there are a lot of private properties,” Pannakara said. “But what’s made it beautiful is how people have welcomed and hosted us in spite of not knowing who we are and what we believe.”
In Opelika, Alabama, the Rev. Patrick Hitchman-Craig hosted the monks on Christmas night at his United Methodist congregation.
He expected to see a small crowd, but about 1,000 people showed up, creating the feel of a block party. The monks seemed like the Magi, he said, appearing on Christ’s birthday.
“Anyone who is working for peace in the world in a way that is public and sacrificial is standing close to the heart of Jesus, whether or not they share our tradition,” said Hitchman-Craig. “I was blown away by the number of people and the diversity of who showed up.”
After their night on the church lawn, the monks arrived the next afternoon at the Collins Farm in Cusseta, Alabama. Judy Collins Allen, whose father and brother run the farm, said about 200 people came to meet the monks — the biggest gathering she’s ever witnessed there.
“There was a calm, warmth and sense of community among people who had not met each other before and that was so special,” she said.
Long Si Dong, a spokesperson for the Fort Worth temple, said the monks, when they arrive in Washington, plan to seek recognition of Vesak, the day which marks the birth and enlightenment of the Buddha, as a national holiday.
“Doing so would acknowledge Vesak as a day of reflection, compassion and unity for all people regardless of faith,” he said.
But Pannakara emphasized that their main goal is to help people achieve peace in their lives. The trek is also a separate endeavor from a $200 million campaign to build towering monuments on the temple’s 14-acre property to house the Buddha’s teachings engraved in stone, according to Dong.
The monks practice and teach Vipassana meditation, an ancient Indian technique taught by the Buddha himself as core for attaining enlightenment. It focuses on the mind-body connection — observing breath and physical sensations to understand reality, impermanence and suffering. Some of the monks, including Pannakara, walk barefoot to feel the ground directly and be present in the moment.
Pannakara has told the gathered crowds that they don't aim to convert people to Buddhism.
Brooke Schedneck, professor of religion at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee, said the tradition of a peace walk in Theravada Buddhism began in the 1990s when the Venerable Maha Ghosananda, a Cambodian monk, led marches across war-torn areas riddled with landmines to foster national healing after civil war and genocide in his country.
“These walks really inspire people and inspire faith,” Schedneck said. “The core intention is to have others watch and be inspired, not so much through words, but through how they are willing to make this sacrifice by walking and being visible.”
On Thursday, Becki Gable drove nearly 400 miles (about 640 kilometers) from Cullman, Alabama, to catch up with them in Saluda. Raised Methodist, Gable said she wanted some release from the pain of losing her daughter and parents.
“I just felt in my heart that this would help me have peace,” she said. “Maybe I could move a little bit forward in my life.”
Gable says she has already taken one of Pannakara’s teachings to heart. She’s promised herself that each morning, as soon as she awakes, she’d take a piece of paper and write five words on it, just as the monk prescribed.
“Today is my peaceful day.”
Freelance photojournalist Allison Joyce contributed to this report.
Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
Buddhist monks who are participating in the, "Walk For Peace," get lunch Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)
Aloka rests with Buddhist monks who are participating in the, "Walk For Peace," Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)
A sign is seen greeting the Buddhist monks who are participating in the, "Walk For Peace," Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)
Supporters pray with Buddhist monks who are participating in the, "Walk For Peace," Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)
Supporters watch Buddhist monks who are participating in the, "Walk For Peace," Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)
A Buddhist monk ties a prayer bracelet around the wrist of Josey Lee, 2-months-old, during the, "Walk For Peace," Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)
Bhikkhu Pannakara, a spiritual leader, speaks to supporters during the, "Walk For Peace," Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)
Buddhist monks participate in the, "Walk For Peace," Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)
Buddhist monks participate in the, "Walk For Peace," Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)
Bhikkhu Pannakara leads other buddhist monks in the, "Walk For Peace," Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)
Audrie Pearce greets Buddhist monks who are participating in the, "Walk For Peace," Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)
Bhikkhu Pannakara, a spiritual leader, speaks to supporters during the, "Walk For Peace," Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)
Buddhist monks who are participating in the, "Walk For Peace," arrive in Saluda, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)
Buddhist monks who are participating in the, "Walk For Peace," are seen with their dog, Aloka, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Saluda, S.C. (AP Photo/Allison Joyce)
