5 Jan 2014 11:49 Africa/Lagos
South Sudan: Situation overview
JUBA, South Sudan, 4 January 2014 / PRNewswire Africa / - Armed hostilities continued between 2 and 4 January 2014, with the heaviest clashes reported between Bor in Jonglei State and Mangalla in Central Equatoria State, and in Mayom County in Unity State. In other parts of the country, including Juba, the situation remained relatively calm but unpredictable. On 3 January, the two main parties to the hostilities sent delegations to Addis Abeba to participate in ceasefire negotiations, but violence continued as of 4 January. In the evening of 4 January, some fighting reportedly occurred in the Jebel area of Juba, though the circumstances remain to be confirmed.
At least 189,000 people have been displaced since hostilities erupted on 15 December. This includes 62,000 people sheltering in UN peacekeeping bases. The overall figure of people displaced has dropped as previous reported that 32,000 people were in the Ragat area of Unity State have not been confirmed by partners working in the area. In other places the number of displaced has continued to rise, including in Awerial where some 84,000
people are now estimated to be sheltering. Overall, the displacement figure is still considered an under-estimate, as agencies' access to rural areas struck by violence remains limited.
The number of South Sudanese seeking shelter in neighbouring
countries has risen to around 22,610. Some 13,000 people have
crossed into Uganda since 15 December. Another 5,290 refugees
have arrived in Ethiopia, in addition to some 400 Ethiopian refugees who had been living in South Sudan but who have chosen to return home. In Kenya, 1,650 refugees have been registered in Kakuma camp, with unconfirmed numbers of people arriving in Dadaab camp and Nairobi. Though the number of people who have crossed into Sudan is difficult to verify, aid agencies have reports that around 2,670 people have arrived since 15 December. Some 2,000 people have reportedly arrived in the Abyei area since the start of the violence.
A multi-sector humanitarian response operation is being coordinated from Juba, with aid agencies scaling up assistance wherever security allows. Active hostilities pose the main access challenge for humanitarian work, with operations in Bor, Jonglei State, severely hampered by the very challenging security environment.
SOURCE Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in South Sudan
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