UNICEF "deeply alarmed" by renewed violence in South Sudan

The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) said on Saturday that it was "deeply alarmed by the renewed violence in South Sudan" and called on all parties to "respect humanitarian principles and provide unrestricted access to civilians in need."

The UN agency said in a statement that "After nearly three years of war, civilians are bearing the brunt of the conflict in South Sudan, with women and children facing the greatest dangers and hardships."

"As the country marks its fifth year of independence, the lives of millions of children continue to be marked by suffering and upheaval," the statement said.

"Children and their families in South Sudan have suffered enough from violence, displacement and killings in this brutal conflict. It is time that peace becomes more than agreements on paper, but a reality for those who are most vulnerable," said the UNICEF regional director for eastern and southern Africa, Leila Pakkala.

At the United Nations' Protection of Civilians site in Juba, which was impacted by the outbreak of hostilities on the night of July 8, UNICEF and partners continue their support to the displaced population.

"Teams on the ground are scaling up efforts to provide access to health and nutrition services, drinking water and sanitation to existing and newly displaced families," the statement said.

The UNICEF statement came after the renewed fighting left five soldiers killed and two others wounded late on Thursday in Juba, the capital of the world's youngest country.

The events in Juba took place shortly after escalation of conflict in other parts of the country in recent weeks, disrupting lives and livelihoods.

In Wau, where fighting has displaced at least 70,000 people since the end of June, UNICEF and partners are working around the clock to provide assistance to children and their families, the statement added.

South Sudan has canceled this year's independence celebrations due to the economic crunch resulting from more than two years of civil conflict. It won independence on July 9, 2011 from Sudan after more than two decades of war that ended in a bitter divorce.

The country again plunged into conflict in December 2013 after President Salva Kiir accused his deputy Riek Machar of plotting a coup, which the latter denied, leading to a cycle of retaliatory killings.

President Kiir and former rebel leader and now first Vice President Machar signed a peace deal in August that paved way for the formation of the transitional unity government to end more than two years of civil conflict. Enditem