17 July 2013 - Alarmed by the deteriorating situation in South Sudan's Jonglei State, the top UN humanitarian official today urged an immediate end to violence and access to those in need.

"I call on all parties to stop the violence immediately, to prevent further unnecessary loss of life, and to create the necessary security environment conducive for aid delivery," Valerie Amos, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, said in a statement.

An estimated 100,000 civilians in Pibor Country had been cut off from life-saving assistance due to fighting between state and non-state armed actors, and the recent resurgence of inter-communal clashes, she said.

"The fighting is threatening the lives of ordinary people and has reduced the ability of humanitarian organizations to provide urgently needed help," she stated.

While it is "good news" that relief organizations today delivered assistance to the Dorein area along the Kengen River for the first time since the beginning of hostilities, the delivery of food and other basic supplies into such vast and swampy terrain requires significant resources.

"I ask the international community to ensure that we have the necessary logistical resources, including air assets, to reach all those in need in Pibor County," Ms. Amos said, emphasizing that aid delivery would be limited as long as fighting continued.