14 May 2015 - The security situation in South Sudan deteriorated further during late April and early May, UNMISS Chief Ellen Loej warned today, as she presented the latest report of the UN Secretary General to the Security Council in New York.

“The untold suffering of the people of South Sudan must stop,” said Ms. Loej, who briefed the Council on the “very worrying” developments that have had a devastating effect on civilians.

“Every day without a political agreement contributes to a further deterioration of the situation on the ground, leading to greater displacement and human misery, and risks regional peace and security,” she added.

Ms. Loej revealed that more than two million people remain displaced, including 1.5 million internally and 500,000 in neighbouring countries.

She added that more than 2.5 million people face severe food insecurity, especially in the greater Upper Nile region, and this figure will most likely increase significantly.

The Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General (SRSG) in South Sudan said the most serious situation is currently in Unity State, where there are reports of Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) advances and fighting as they push into southern areas of the oil-rich region towards Koch, Leer and Adok.

Ms. Loej said that there was a continued flow of internally displaced persons (IDPs) into the UNMISS protection site in the Unity State capital Bentiu, noting that some 2400 IDPs had arrived in May.

“Not only are more IDPs arriving but incidents of ethnic, political and tribal clashes have grown during the last two months,” she said.

Ms. Loej highlighted the multitude of challenges in UNMISS civilian protection sites, including crime, gang-related violence and ethnically based disturbances.

As of 6 May, UNMISS was providing protection to nearly 120,000 displaced persons in seven sites, including about 53,000 in Bentiu, 34,000 in Juba, and nearly 29,000 in the Upper Nile State capital Malakal following the latest fighting in the area.

While the arrival of additional troops has permitted the Mission to expand its reach, capacity and resource constraints limit protection activities by its military personnel, she said.

The SRSG also noted that serious human rights violations had persisted and reiterated that it is vital for all sides of the conflict to abide by international law and take all measures to ensure the safety of civilians and aid organizations.

UNMISS was also paying close attention to repeated inter-communal violence in other states involving cattle-raiding incidents and revenge attacks in which women and children are often targeted, the UNMISS Chief said.

Ms. Loej urged the Government and the opposition to renew their commitment to facilitate the work of the UN in South Sudan and expressed concern about continued incidence of unlawful arrests, detentions and abductions, including targeting of UN and humanitarian personnel.

“There is no alternative to silencing the guns and concluding a comprehensive peace agreement in order to turn South Sudan towards the path of peace and stability,” she said.

On a more positive note, some 1,757 children linked to the Cobra Faction have been demobilized, Ms. Loej said.

“As important as the release of child soldiers is, it is equally important to support vocational training and livelihood related efforts to ensure that they don’t relapse into joining another armed group,” she added.