The UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Stephen O’Brien today called on the warring parties in South Sudan to stop fighting, saying that civilians are suffering terribly as a result of the war.

He said this after a four-day mission to South Sudan where he met with aid workers, government officials and diplomats, besides also visiting displaced camps in Juba and Unity State.

“I am deeply shocked by what I have seen. Innocent civilians are bearing the brunt of this brutal war,” stated the Emergency Relief Coordinator. “Families have endured horrendous atrocities - including killing, abduction, and the recruitment of children into armed groups. Women and girls have been beaten, raped and set on fire.”

“Entire communities have lost their homes and their livelihoods. Many people are starving, living in swamps or in bushes, hiding in fear of their lives. This senseless cycle of violence must stop.”

The UN humanitarian chief called on the leaders of the warring factions to take responsibility for their own actions and for those who act in their name; “I call on the leadership of South Sudan to listen to their people and lay down their arms, to stop the violence, reconcile their differences and commit to peace.”

UN photo