SOUTH SUDAN: INSECURITY UN ASSISTANCE TRT: 02:24 SOURCE: UNMISS RESTRICTIONS: NONE LANGUAGE: ENGLISH/NATS DATELINE: DECEMBER 19 2013, JUBA, SOUTH SUDAN STORYLINE: Numbers of those seeking assistance from the United Nations Mission in South Sudan in the capital Juba, continues to soar with numbers reaching up to 20,000, according the Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary General for South Sudan, Toby Lanzer, who is also the UN humanitarian Coordinator in the country. Thousands have been seeking shelter, after fighting which started in the capital Juba following an attempted coup are seeking a safe haven, water, food and medical facilities. In one of the UN compounds, those seeking shelter have been able to go and look for food, but return for the nights. SOUNDBITE (English) -- Paul Egunsola - UNMISS Chief of Staff : "During the day as you can imagine the numbers go down as many of them go out to try and get something to eat. So we allow them to go in and out but we try to screen them every time they come back inside for their own safety and also to make sure the security of the camp itself is not compromised." Water has been provided where possible, with some of it running our due to pressing demands. Medical facilities have also been extended to some who have arrived with bullet wounds and diseases like malaria. As of early Tuesday morning, the clinic at the Tomping compound had admitted 39 civilians admitted to medical treatment. They include five children. Three births occurred overnight at the clinic, whose patient caseload has already exceeded its maximum capacity of 35. SOUNDBITE English -- Paul Egunsola - UNMISS Chief of Staff : "We have also been able to get medical assistance, reinforce our medical services so we are able to provide them emergency medical assistance and we have had cases that we have treated in our facility here." SOUNDBITE English -- Dr. Simon Bagumaho -- UNMISS Medical Doctor: " Currently we are dealing with children. We have about 4 very sick children with severe Malaria and Bronchial Pneumonia. We've also seen some gunshot injuries, very minor which we've dressed. About 6 of them this morning and they have gone back to the IDP camp. The Members of the Security Council expressed serious concern over the fighting that began on December 15 and is ongoing in the capital city of Juba, and other areas, in South Sudan that has reportedly resulted in large numbers of casualties, as well as over the risk of targeted violence against certain communities. The Members of the Security Council have urged all parties to immediately cease hostilities, exercise restraint and refrain from violence and other actions that could exacerbate tensions. They also underscored the vital importance of protection of all civilians, regardless of their communities of origin, and called for all authorities to respect the rule of law and human rights. The Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General, Hilde F. Johnson, calls on all South Sudanese and all parties in the current situation to refrain from any community motivated violence. As UNMISS has previously warned against any hate speech in relation to inter-communal violence in South Sudan, it is paramount that the current violence does not assume ethnic dimensions. During the unrest, which started Sunday night, the Juba International airport remained closed but the government announced it would open it on Wednesday. Some countries like the United States of America and the United Kingdom evacuated some of their nationals with a few flights taking off Wednesday morning. ENDS.

• published: 18 Dec 2013
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