The number of people displaced by conflict in South Sudan has reached more than one million, the United Nations stated on Friday, driven by a spike in new displacement in Jonlgei and Unity states. 

This figure, reported by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), includes 803,200 displaced within South Sudan and 254,600 who have fled to neighboring countries.

Massive population movements originate primarily in the three most conflict-affected states of Unity, Upper Nile and Jonglei, with most outflows into states neighboring these three, including Lakes, Central Equatoria, White Nile and South Kordofan.

According to OCHA, the “displacement figures have spiked in Jonglei and Unity states.” The most heavily affected areas within Unity include Leer, Panyijar, Mayendit, and Mayom counties, which were attacked by SPLA in January and February.

With more 240,800 people displaced within Unity state and another 16,800 in neighboring Warrap and 2,600 in Abyei, most of whom are from Unity, figures suggest that about 44% of the state population are on the run or displaced to neighboring areas, according to UN data compared to the 2008 census data.

“Between 6 and 24 March, the estimated number of people internally displaced increased by over 100,000. Some 174 sites reportedly have concentrations of displaced communities,” the UN agency stated in a regular briefing on Friday.

Driven by either hunger or conflict, large populations have continued to move from one place to another, until sometimes reaching refuge in neighboring countries or at established relief points. “People continue to move in and out of displacement sites,” says OCHA, noting that some 24 sites previously hosting displaced people earlier in the crisis are now empty.

Some of the largest concentrations of people are in the areas of Melut (20,000), Nyal (35,000), Akobo (30,000), Juba Tongping (21,00), Juba UN house, (11,000), Malakal (21,500), Bor base (5,694), Bentiu (more than 7,000), and Mayom (20,000), according to rough figures from different aid agencies.

Photo: Internal displacement figures by state for five states in South Sudan as of 27 March 2014; other states and refugee figures not shown (OCHA)