The county is located in Jonglei State, in the Greater Upper Nile region of South Sudan, bordering the country of Ethiopia.

The county headquarter is Akobo, located approximately 450 kilometres (280 mi), northeast of Juba, South Sudan Capital and largest city in the country.

The county is prone to drought and the population is nomadic, sometimes migrating to other locations in search of water and pasture for their livestock.

The study found high rates of acute malnutrition and poor child health indicators.

The researchers concluded that may be the feeding programme started in 2009 was enough to prevent some deaths, or that the more vulnerable died during the civil strife of 2009.