Badly overstretched UN bases have been populated with at least 45,000 South Sudanese civilians seeking protection amid brutal fighting that has spread to half of the young nation's 10 states, the United Nations said on Tuesday.
At least 20,000 people are sheltering at two UN bases in the capital Juba, while 17,000 are sheltering at the UN base in the rebel-held town of Bor, state capital of powder-keg eastern Jonglei state, Agence France-Presse reported.
The UN base in Bentiu, state capital of the oil-producing Unity state -- also in rebel hands - has further seen 7,000 people requesting for shelter, while "sporadic fighting" has been reported in Upper Nile, another oil-rich state.
At least 45,000 people were sheltering at those and other bases, said the UN.
"The estimated number of people displaced in the current crisis in South Sudan has risen to 81,000," the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in its latest situation report. "Given the limited access to civilians outside population centers, the number is likely to be significantly higher."
Even though 500 people have been reported as officially dead, the real figure is believed to be much higher, said aid workers. Hundreds of thousands of others are believed to have fled to the countryside, prompting warnings of an imminent humanitarian disaster, according to AFP.
"There are credible reports of grave abuses committed against civilians in different parts of the country, including killings," the UN said.
Located 125 miles north of Juba, the town of Bor is trying to be recaptured by the army since they lost control on Wednesday.
"In Bor, the situation for the 17,000 people sheltering at the base is challenging, the lack of food and shelter is becoming urgent," the UN said, warning that there has been "large-scale looting of humanitarian compounds and civilian property" in the town.
"The situation in Jonglei deteriorated further, with reported clashes between different armed factions south of Bor... the base is being reinforced with additional protective barriers, including the area hosting the displaced civilians," the UN reported..
