Nearly half a million people are already displaced due to the war in South Sudan, the UN Coordination Office reported on Tuesday.
The revised estimate includes 413,000 internally displaced people now living at towns, bases, informal camps, or in the bush, and 74,400 refugees in neighboring countries.
Most of the displaced population can be found in Jonglei, where the SPLA loyal to President Kiir has lost control over much of the state, including the capital Bor.
Many people in Jonglei are reportedly concentrated in Old Fangak and Lankien in the northern part of the state, having fled the fighting in Upper Nile State just to the north.
In Unity State at least 97,000 people are displaced, while in Lakes State the number who crossed the Nile from Jonglei is around 84,000 at sites in Awerial County including the largest, Mingkamen.
South Sudanese who crossed international boders include about 38,700 in Uganda, 18,600 in Ethiopia, 10,000 in Kenya, and 7,000 in Sudan.
According to the UN refugee agency (UNHCR), there are daily 5,000 South Sudanese crossing the border into Uganda.
In Upper Nile a relatively low number of 18,704 had been counted as of January 13, but since then fighting resumed in Malakal and most citizens left the town. Thousands ran to the UN compound during the last few days where now about 18,000 people are now sheltering.
An escape by boat ended in tragedy on Sunday morning when a boat sank while carrying more than 200 people, with only three survivors.
OCHA’s figures do not reflect population movement by other nationalities from South Sudan; tens of thousands of Ugandans, Kenyans, Sudanese and Somalis have also left the country.
File photo: Many people displaced from Bor County are scattered throughout eastern Lakes State, with the largest concentration of about 80,000 around Mingkamen (MSF)