Over 200,000 displaced in South Sudan: UN

In this January 2, 2014 photo, displaced people arrive with what belongings they had time to gather by river barge from Bor, some of the thousands who fled the recent fighting between government and rebel forces in Bor by boat across the White Nile, in the town of Awerial, South Sudan.

The ongoing conflict in South Sudan has already uprooted more than 200,000 people from their homes, a U.N. spokesperson confirmed here on Wednesday.

“The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says that an estimated 201,000 people have been internally displaced by the current crisis in South Sudan since Dec 15,” reported Xinhua citing Farhan Haq, U.N. acting deputy spokesperson.

“Some 85,000 people are estimated to be displaced in Mingkaman and surrounding areas in Awerial County, Lakes State,” Mr. Haq added.

According to OCHA, food, healthcare, shelter, water, sanitation and hygiene remain the top priorities for humanitarian response, while humanitarian access continues to be constrained by active hostilities, attacks on aid workers and assets, interference with humanitarian activities and other obstacles.

Humanitarian flights into Bor, the capital of Jonglei State, have been severely disrupted as a result of the fighting in the area, said Mr. Haq. “Aid agencies continue to engage with all parties to the hostilities to secure safe access to civilians in need.”

Aid agencies are also doing contingency planning for any potential additional displacement in the coming weeks and for the rainy season starting in May, Mr. Haq said.

The conflict in South Sudan began Dec. 15 when President Salva Kiir’s government claimed that soldiers loyal to former deputy president Riek Machar, dismissed in July, launched an attempted coup.

The Security Council adopted a resolution last week to send a reinforcement of 5,500 troops and 440 policemen to increase the overall force levels of the U.N. Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) in an effort to protect civilians.