Calm in Jonglei’s Twic East county despite hundreds displaced

May 5, 14 (JUBA) – Relative calm has returned to Jonglei Twic East county, which borders Duk county after fierce clashes recently occurred between the army and opposition forces in the area, officials said on Monday.

Last month, a least seven people were killed in Twic East’s Lith payam (district) when armed youth clashed with rebels loyal to South Sudan’s former vice-president Riek Machar. 20 rebels, according to the county commissioner, died during the battle.

“Many people came to Panyagoor and other places because of fear of attacks by the rebels. But now the rebels went backs to Lou”, Dau Akoi told Sudan Tribune phone.

Hundreds of people, he said, fled their homes to Panyagoor, the county headquarters and other areas for safety.

Several non-governmental organisations operating in the county reportedly evacuated their staff to safe havens when fighting intensified on Twic East last month.

Up to 959,000 people, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in its latest update, have been displaced within South Sudan since conflict broke out with 20 per cent of those displaced in inaccessible areas.

South Sudan Crisis Response Plan said it requires up to $1.27 billion to meet the humanitarian needs of the those affected by the conflict. Already, OCHA said, some? $492 million had been received, representing 39 per cent of the amount requested.

(ST)