UN envoy voices commitment to protection of civilians in South Sudan

The UN secretary-general's special representative for South Sudan on Tuesday reiterated the UN's commitment to the protection of civilians in the world's youngest country, a UN spokesman said here.

Ellen Margrethe Loj urged all responsible parties to refrain from any actions or statements that escalate tensions and to respect the rules governing UN protection sites, including the no weapons rule inside the sites, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters.

The UN envoy made the remarks while visiting Malakal, a city in the northeastern part of South Sudan, on Tuesday to assess the situation there and to meet with parties on the ground, including community leaders within the protection site and Malakal town, Dujarric said.

On Feb. 18, at least seven people were killed and many others injured when unidentified gunmen attacked a United Nations base in Malakal, the capital city of Upper Nile State in South Sudan.

The UN base in Malakal is sheltering around 50,000 civilians out of about 201,000 South Sudanese displaced persons living in eight UN bases across the country.

South Sudan plunged into violence in December 2013, when fighting erupted between troops loyal to President Salva Kiir and defectors led by his former deputy, Riek Machar.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that an inter-agency humanitarian team has managed to reach Mundri West County earlier this month, following clashes in the area in February.

Aid partners have distributed hygiene and emergency medical items as well as survival kits and clean water kits for people in the area.

Loj is also the head of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). She was appointed to the current post in July 2014 by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. Endite