No massacre, but South Sudan 'a disaster zone'
The UN’s top official in South Sudan says “no evidence” has been found of reported mass killings, but warned that 60,000 people urgently need aid.
Hilde Johnson, the UN Special Representative for South Sudan, said reports that more than 3000 people were killed last week when thousands of armed youths attacked the Pibor region of Jonglei state appeared to be a false alarm.
“Importantly, we found no evidence that support those numbers,” she said following a visit to affected areas where up to 8000 armed youths set homes on fire and forced thousands to flee.
In a dramatic escalation of bitter tit-for-tat attacks, a militia army from the Lou Nuer tribe last week marched on Pibor, home to the rival Murle people, whom they blame for abductions.
It was still unclear how many people had died but with as many as a third of all thatch huts set on fire in targeted areas, about 60,000 people were in desperate need of help, Ms Johnson added.
“People are left without shelter, their homes have been torched, and with their cattle taken their livelihoods are dismantled,” she said.
The UN humanitarian co-ordinator for South Sudan, Lise Grande, said last week that “tens, perhaps hundreds” could have died in the latest outbreak of violence in the world’s newest nation, which declared independence six months ago.
South Sudan has declared Jonglei a “disaster area” while the UN has said it will launch a “massive” aid operation.
