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South Sudan

Save the Children's response to violence in South Sudan

As thousands flee fighting in Pibor County, South Sudan, Save the Children’s Melinda Young says.

Tuesday, January 3, 2012 - 12:56

“Up to 25,000 women and children have fled fighting and are hiding in the bush. They are likely to be terrified, and without clean water, shelter or enough food. Many could be injured.

“Children in the area already live in continual fear of violence and are often abducted in raids. If fighting continues thousands more could be killed, maimed, abducted or recruited to fight.

“Save the Children needs urgent access to help children who have been caught up in the fighting. We suspect many have been separated from their families and we need to reunite them safely as soon as possible.”

Save the Children runs child tracing and family reunification programmes in Pibor County and the surrounding areas. The charity is calling urgently for calm so its teams can gain access to affected children.

The charity has lost contact with two of its staff in Pibor:

“We are extremely concerned about the safety of our staff and have not been able to communicate with them for several days now. We know they were forced to flee the fighting with their families and we are doing everything we can to ensure they are safe.”

To speak to Melinda Young, our spokesperson in South Sudan please call the media team on +44 (0)207 012 6400 or +44 (0)7831 650409.