The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) expressed its concern over the fate of people wounded in clashes around Waat town in South Sudan’s Bieh state, and requested all sides to allow the wounded access to health care.

The ICRC in a statement issued in the capital Juba on Friday reminded all sides involved in the hostilities to respect and protect those not taking part in the fighting, including wounded combatants.

"The ICRC has been able to evacuate several wounded combatants so far and we stand ready to do it again. We are discussing with all sides to the conflict to ensure that the wounded have access to the medical assistance they are entitled to," ICRC's head of delegation in South Sudan, Francois Stamm said.

Earlier this week, fresh clashes erupted between government forces and fighters loyal to the country's former first vice-president Riek Machar known.

SPLA spokesman Lul Ruai Koang accused opposition fighters for obstructing evacuation efforts by the ICRC on Wednesday, claiming that rebels fired shells at the airstrip as the ICRC team tried to evacuate their wounded soldiers.

But Lam Paul Gabriel, a deputy military of the rebels denied all the accusations, saying that the government is trying to restrict the ICRC to only rescue wounded government soldiers and leave out the rebels.