JUBA, March 30 (Xinhua) -- International medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) said on Monday that at least 58 people have died in recent violence in Jonglei State, South Sudan, where about 30,000 displaced people remain stranded without access to food, water, or medical care.
Gul Badshah, MSF operations manager, said the displaced civilians fled recent violence in Lankien and Pieri and are now sheltering under trees near swampy areas in Nyatim, with very limited means of survival.
"People are dying of suspected hunger, as their only food is boiled tree leaves. Children have also died from acute watery diarrhea and suspected malaria," Badshah said in a statement.
Humanitarian access to Nyatim has been blocked for nearly a month, preventing aid organizations from delivering urgently needed assistance to those trapped in the area, according to MSF.
The medical charity warned that the situation is deteriorating rapidly, with many of the displaced -- mostly women, children, and the elderly -- facing severe shortages of clean water, shelter, and medicines.
It also reported insecurity in the area, including abductions by armed groups, with some civilians attacked while searching for food and water.
The MSF has called on authorities to urgently allow humanitarian access to Nyatim and appealed to the international community, including UN agencies, to help facilitate life-saving assistance.
The organization warned that without immediate intervention, the death toll could rise as thousands remain stranded without aid. ■
