Medicines Sans Frontiers or MSF said the deteriorating security situation in Leer and surrounding areas of southern Unity State was disturbing thousands of people hiding in the bush.
One of the MSF staff who is hiding in the bush lamented that ‘many people from Leer are hungry, food and water are a problem for everyone, people are drinking water from a dirty river’.
MSF South Sudan Head of Mission Raphael Gorgeu in a statement on Tuesday said ‘the situation on the ground is chaotic and hostile and it is very difficult to know where the civilians have fled to from Leer.’
He added that the sporadic contact we are able to make with our staff paints a desperate picture for them and the unknown thousands living in terrible conditions, vulnerable to disease, dehydration, malnutrition and attack.’
He said MSF staff continue to care for patients but medicines are finishing, staff are still caring for 15 surgical cases, but they can no longer change their surgical dressings due to supply shortages.
Mr Gorgeu said MSF staff reported that worsening security pushed them further into the bush.
He added that the staff split into smaller groups to decrease the chance of attack and divided their supplies of medicines for treating only the most life-threatening cases.