26,000 flee South Sudan to Uganda, says UN

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In this photo taken Saturday, July 16, 2016 and released by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), A Displaced South Sudanese boy plays in mud around the UN compound in Juba South Sudan. South Sudanese people seek protection at the UN compound in Juba, South Sudan. Some South Sudanese, even those with dual U.S. citizenship, are not being allowed to leave the country, even as the United States, India and other countries continued Thursday to evacuate their citizens while a fragile cease-fire appeared to hold (Beatrice Mategwa/UNMISS via AP)

The United Nations refugee agency reports that 26,000 people have fled South Sudan to Uganda this month.

Andreas Needham, spokesman for the U.N. refugee agency, said Friday that thousands of South Sudanese have left their country since fighting erupted on July 7 between forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and those supporting Vice President Riek Machar. Although an uneasy peace has been established in South Sudan’s capital, Juba, the U.N. official said the flow of people leaving the country has continued.

He said that more than 90 percent of the new refugees are women and children.

The U.N. official said the new refugees report that fighting is continuing in southern South Sudan and that in the Magwi area gunmen are looting properties and recruiting young men and boys.

From Agencies, Feature image courtesy AP

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