Tens of thousands of people fearing for their lives have fled violence in South Sudan's oil-rich northern state of Jonglei. They are crossing the Nile River and seeking refuge in Awerial county, in the center of South Sudan. The need for humanitarian aid is acute, as more people arrive daily, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said in an Operational Update on Wednesday. ICRC and the South Sudan Red Cross have began a major aid distribution to meet immediate food, shelter and other needs.
"The road to the river is lined with thousands of people, with others waiting for boats to carry them across," said François Moreillon, ICRC deputy head of delegation, speaking from Awerial county. "This is the largest single identified concentration of displaced people in the country so far. We're taking immediate action to address the vital needs of these people, who have already had to face enormous hardship," he added.
The ICRC is closely monitoring needs and, together with the South Sudan Red Cross, will take further action as the security situation permits, vulnerable," said Moreillon.
Fighting is continuing unabated in Jonglei's capital Bor and parts of Unity state as the Government of South Sudan and warring rebels prepare to begin peace talks in Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.
Elsewhere in South Sudan, the ICRC called on all parties to take every feasible precaution to minimize civilian casualties, to ensure respect for international humanitarian law, and to allow people to reach health-care facilities safely. Melker Mabeck, ICRC head of delegation in Juba expressed extreme concern about reports of both targeted killings of civilians and ill treatment. Civilians must be protected from attacks and respect shown for human life, he added.
Fresh fighting in the world's newest country erupted on 15 December when President Kiir said soldiers loyal Machar, dismissed from office in July, launched an attempted coup. Kiir belongs to the Dinka ethnic group and Machar to the Lou Nuer, and the conflict has been increasingly marked by reports of ethnically targeted violence.
Thousands of people are estimated to have died in the violence and some 180,000 others have been driven from their homes, up to 75,000 of them seeking refuge on UNMISS bases.
Since the fighting began, the ICRC and the South Sudan Red Cross have been working to address the most urgent needs.
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