JUBA, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations mission said Wednesday it plans to extend its presence in South Sudan to enable its peacekeeping forces to reach more vulnerable people in remote parts of the country.
David Shearer, head of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMIS), said reaching vulnerable people in remote parts of the country is part of the UN mission's "nimble and proactive" approach.
"It's clear that the needs of people in this location are immense. So UNMISS is looking at ways of extending a presence in the town," said Shearer, who is also the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for South Sudan.
He was speaking in the town of Akobo, in a remote and hard-to-reach area in the northeast of the country, close to the border with Ethiopia. Akobo lies in an opposition-held part of South Sudan.
According to a statement from UNMISS, some 71,000 displaced people are currently living in Akobo and the surrounding area after fleeing fighting between the government SPLA and opposition forces in the northeast.
The mission had operated a base in the town but it was closed down following an attack in December 2013 in which two Indian peacekeepers and 30 civilians were killed.
The UNMISS said it had been stepping up flights into Akobo sending in peacekeepers and UNMISS staff on temporary assignments.
