An estimated 700 families from Leer County in South Sudan’s Unity State fled to the UN camp in Bentiu town following fighting between government forces and armed opposition fighters last month, a spokesperson of the armed opposition faction said. 

James Yoach, spokesperson of the SPLM-IO faction allied to Riek Machar in Unity state, told Radio Tamazuj that the fighting between their forces and government troops forced about 700 families from Leer County to seek shelter inside the UN protection site in Bentiu town.

The rebel official accused militias supported by the government of looting citizen’s properties along the Leer-Bentiu road. Yoach revealed that local residents in the SPLM-IO controlled areas were experiencing deteriorating humanitarian conditions amid absence of humanitarian organizations operating in the area.

He called on international NGOs to provide aid assistance to the conflict-affected people as soon as possible.