The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on Monday condemned the escalation of violence in South Sudan’s northeastern state of Upper Nile, which has forced thousands of people, mostly women and children, to flee for their lives.
Jesper Moller, acting UNICEF representative in South Sudan, said the deadly clashes between armed groups in Fashoda County in Upper Nile State have also separated thousands of children from their families.
“Grave human rights violations are being reported against children and women, along with increasing numbers of deaths and injuries. Children have been separated from their families, and schools have become the shelter for those fleeing for their lives,” Moller said in a statement issued in the South Sudanese capital of Juba.
According to the statement, 75 percent of those fleeing conflict are women and children, running in search of safety.
“UNICEF and our partners are on the ground and will continue to provide life-saving services for children and families to minimize injuries and disease, and protect the lives and wellbeing of children,” Moller said