UNHCR decries more displacements out of South Sudan

The UN refugee agency on Tuesday expressed concern of the rising number of South Sudanese fleeing into Sudan due to widespread food insecurity caused by the ongoing fighting and deteriorating economic conditions.

In a statement received in Juba, UNHCR said it fears the situation could quickly worsen as the nutrition situation in Upper Nile, Warrap, and Northern Bahr Ghazal grows increasingly serious.

"Heightened food insecurity and growing unrest in parts of South Sudan, especially in the north-western States of Northern Bahr El Ghazal and Warrap, have resulted in the flight of some 38,000 people into East and South Darfur since end of January," UNHCR said.

The two-year conflict in South Sudan has taken a brutal and deadly toll on civilians, producing one of the world's largest humanitarian emergencies with 2.3 million people forced to flee their homes, 678,000 of these across borders as refugees and 1.69 million displaced inside the country.

Recently, fighting has spread to new areas and there continue to be reports of people being raped and killed, and of homes and crops being destroyed and damaged by fighting.

Despite the peace agreement, civilians in the country continue to face destitution, destruction, death and devastation, and the humanitarian needs continue to grow with the UN calling for an end to the fighting, the protection of people caught in the middle, and immediate and unhindered access for humanitarian actors to all those in need.

According to the UN, growing food insecurity and ongoing conflict are causing more and more South Sudanese to flee either across borders or inside the country.

They are among the 2.8 million people across South Sudan officially classified as facing a "crisis" or "emergency" of food insecurity, according to FEWS Net, the global food security body mandated to monitor such situations.

Sudan's Humanitarian Aid Commission reported the arrival of 2,328 South Sudanese in El Meiram and 2,520 in Kharasana in West Kordofan State.

These new arrivals, which may be under-counted, have reached Sudan in poor health, many having risked their lives en route. They need humanitarian help including food, water, basic relief items and response as well as family reunification.

UNHCR led a mission to El Meiram last week to assess the level and nature of the needs.

In East Darfur, an average of 500 South Sudanese -- or 100 households -- have been arriving per day, with a total of 35,234 refugees from South Sudan as of 23 March, and more are expected in the coming days.

According to UNHCR, the situation is desperate with most new arrivals having travelled up to four weeks before reaching Khor Omer, carrying few personal belongings and in need of urgent humanitarian assistance. Enditem