3 January 2014 - Aid agencies had drawn up a plan for January, February and March to provide protection, water, food, shelter and healthcare for people most affected by ongoing crisis in South Sudan, a top UN official said in a statement issued today.

To implement it, agencies needed $166 million from the international donor community, Toby Lanzer, Humanitarian Coordinator in South Sudan, said in the statement.

“This is the time to stand with the people of South Sudan and over the coming days and weeks we will do all we can to do just that.”

He noted that violence in South Sudan over the past two weeks had displaced around 200,000 people and indirectly affected many hundreds of thousands more.

Aid agencies were scaling up their work, especially in towns most heavily struck by violence and in rural sites civilians had fled to for safety, Mr. Lanzer said.

“The largest site of civilians in need is in Awerial, Lakes State, where up to 76,000 people have gathered and aid agencies are now providing food and non-food items as well as basic healthcare there,” he said.

“In the coming days we are stepping up our work and will also make available clean water and latrines for people stuck in Awerial,” Mr. Lanzer added.

He called on all parties to ease aid agencies’ access to civilians as well as to protect and respect humanitarian activities, workers, and property at all times.

“Non-state actors and participants in the hostilities are also legally accountable for facilitating and respecting the work, national and international staff, and property of aid agencies,” he said.