UN agencies, partners distribute relief items to Southern Sudanese

Some 55,000 people in South Sudan have received essential items from the UN and its partners, after having been displaced by conflict in the Jonglei state, the UN said on Tuesday.

According to the spokesperson for the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Mr. Jens Laerke, the UN and other humanitarian agencies have been distributing a mix of food, water and households items such as jerry cans, soap, fishing equipment and blankets, as well as providing sanitation and hygiene support.

However, he warned that aid distribution was being made difficult by the extremely poor road conditions and insecurity.

He stated that the displacement of some 75,000 people and increased humanitarian need were triggered by a military offensive by government forces against a non-state armed group earlier this year.

Insecurity was compounded in July by inter-communal violence between the Lou Nuer and Murle communities, Mr. Laerke noted.

To scale up the humanitarian response, the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), which is managed by OCHA, allocated US$6 million last month to help agencies bring relief to affected communities in Pibor county in Jonglei.

The latest funds are in addition to the US$5.5 million CERF allocated in June.

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