JUBA, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said on Thursday that the number of hungry and displaced people in South Sudan is overwhelming as extreme hunger and medical needs continue to rise owing to increased fighting.
ICRC President Peter Maurer who arrived in Juba said out of South Sudan's 12 million people, one in three has been displaced, while one in two is severely hungry and in need of food assistance.
He said the numbers associated with South Sudan's violence reveal the level of brutality being carried out against civilians.
"The staggering scale of suffering is evidence of the cumulative effect of 3.5 years of a style of fighting that appears calibrated to maximize misery. Warfare should not directly impact the lives of so many civilians," Maurer said.
Maurer said ICRC continues to observe reports of severe physical and sexual attacks against civilians and obstruction of healthcare delivery in South Sudan.
He added that ICRC has carried out more than 500 medical evacuations this year, more than in all of 2016.
The charity said the South Sudan conflict has separated more family members in 2017 compared to last year, adding that it has already reunited more than 40 people with their families, including many children.
"Medical needs are rising because of increased fighting. The number of wounded treated in ICRC-supported hospitals is significantly higher this year than for the same period last year," Maurer added.
While in South Sudan, Maurer will meet with high-level government officials and visit ICRC food, medical/surgical and water assistance operations in the field.
The ICRC head will then travel to refugee camps in Uganda to meet with South Sudanese refugees there and hear about the challenges they face.
South Sudan has been embroiled in more than three years of conflict that has taken a devastating toll on the people.
The UN estimates that 1.5 million people have been forced into neighboring countries and another 7.5 million people across the country are in need of humanitarian assistance and protection.
