Medical aid groups working in South Sudan have reported a sharp increase in the number of people given surgical treatment this month compared to previous months, owing to heavy fighting.

In less than a month, aid groups performed more than six times as many surgeries as the previous four months combined, according to the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

“As fighting persisted, health partners reported a sharp rise in casualties due to the clashes and are responding to the increasing needs despite access challenges. Between 1 and 24 May 2015, health partners have performed surgeries to 1,289 people, which represent a significant increase compared to the less than 200 surgeries performed from January to April 2015,” OCHA stated in an update.

The UN coordination agency also reported that medical organizations are planning for the potential intake of even more wounded. They have updated “mass casualty plans” in Bentiu, Malakal and Melut.

Health organizations have also boosted the supply of trauma kits and sent more medical supplies to bolster the surgical capacity of a health facility inside the UNMISS base in Malakal.

Photos: Wounded civilians are treated at the UN Melut base, 21 May 2015 (UNMISS/UN Military)