24 September 2014 - Gross human rights violations committed by parties to the South Sudanese conflict had declined but the number of civilians forced to flee violence now neared two 2 million, a top UN official said in Geneva today.

Human rights violations committed by both parties included extra-judicial killings, enforced disappearances, rape, other sexual violence, and attacks on hospitals and UN facilities, said Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights Flavia Pansieri.

The scale and severity of reported violations had declined compared to the first months of the conflict, she said in remarks to a panel discussion on South Sudan held by the UN Human Rights Council.

“However, civilians have continued to bear the brunt of the ongoing armed conflict and of their leaders’ failure to stop the fighting,” Ms. Pansieri said.

Both the South Sudan Government and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army in Opposition have continued to mobilize forces and amass weapons to consolidate their respective power bases, she said.

“The numbers of civilians displaced across and from South Sudan has continued to rise, with no likelihood that people will return to their homes soon,” she said. “Since the conflict began in December 2013, some 1.5 million people have been internally displaced inside the country and a reported 400,000 people have sought refuge in neighbouring Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia and the Sudan.”

Ms. Pansieri also reported that the country was experiencing extreme food insecurity and facing a possible famine.

Yesterday, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said the combined efforts of the agency, the World Food Programme (WFP) and Mercy Corps have helped to pull two million people back from the brink of famine and severe food insecurity in South Sudan.

“This progress, however, is fragile, partial, temporary and expensive,” the FAO said in a news release. “Despite current short-term improvements, 1.5 million people are projected to remain severely food insecure until the end of 2014, which is a 50 per cent increase from December 2013.”

UNMISS had opened its gates to civilians fleeing the violence, Ms. Pansieri noted. Around 100,000 internally displaced persons were now seeking shelter in Protection of Civilians sites within UNMISS compounds, presenting the mission with unique challenges.

The Deputy High Commissioner recommended that more needed to be done to protect civilians and ensure accountability for crimes and human rights violations.

“Up to now, neither the Government nor the [opposition] SPLM/A-IO has demonstrated any real interest in ensuring accountability for widespread violations and abuses committed in the course of the conflict,” she said.