A group of aid agencies has supplied relief food to thousands of people displaced by conflict in Lainya County of Central Equatoria state.

In May, fighting in the county between armed groups forced nearly 16,000 people to flee in search of safety near Lainya town and surrounding villages.

Local officials and religious leaders interviewed by Radio Tamazuj said the conflict-displaced families desperately need humanitarian assistance.

Sadick Augustino, the Relief and Rehabilitation Commission (RRC) Coordinator for Lainya, told Radio Tamazuj on Wednesday that the distribution of assorted food and non-food items started in Lainya last week.

“Some agencies came with non-food items like carpets, blankets, mosquito nets, and sleeping mats. So far, 8,165 internally displaced persons (IDPs) have already received food items like cereals, beans, oil, and salt,” he said.

Sadick further said IDPs and host communities lack clean drinking water.

“In Lainya Payam itself, most boreholes have broken down, some have rusted making it difficult for the IDPs to access clean drinking water. We also urge humanitarian agencies to help the IDPs and host communities with farm tools to produce their own food,” he added.

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency on Wednesday said increasing violence, particularly in Central Equatoria, threaten to destabilize peace efforts in South Sudan.

It called on political leaders to reinvigorate efforts to establish lasting peace and bring an end to Africa’s largest displacement crisis.