Soldiers in South Sudan prepare for a security operation, as thousands flee ongoing tribal clashes that claimed the lives of at least 24 people on Monday alone.
Since South Sudan became Africa's newest country in July last year, the Juba-based government has struggled to assert its authority and end the tribal and rebel violence which has claimed thousands of lives.
The United Nations Humanitarian Head for South Sudan said an operation would be mounted to provide people displaced by the latest spate of violence with food, shelter, and medical assistance.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) UNITED NATIONS HUMANITARIAN HEAD FOR SOUTH SUDAN, LISE GRANDE, SAYING:
"We will be mounting one of the most complex and expensive emergency operation in South Sudan since the CPA was signed in 2005. Our key aim of course is to save as many lives as possible. Our estimated case load of people who have been affected by the violence is 60,000 - that is the number of people that we think are still out in the bush that haven't made it back to the communities they fled from."
The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees said those displaced add to the hundreds of thousands still returning to the South since the 2005 peace deal ended decades of civil war, putting a huge strain on the emerging nation.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES, ANTONIO GUTERRES, SAYING:
"For a country that is emerging as a sovereign state to face all these challenges at the same time represents a dramatic impact in their capacity to provide to the people security and basic services that the people need and of course these will not be possible without massive international solidarity and it is this massive international solidarity that we are appealing for during this visit."
As well as violence between rival tribes, South Sudan is plagued by murders, mutilations, and kidnappings carried out by the Ugandan Lord's Resistance Army rebel group.
Nick Rowlands, Reuters.