About 14, 000 South Sudanese fled into Sudan over the weekend, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees has said.

The agency says they are fleeing the increased violence in the northern parts of the country. It described the situation as an “emergency within an emergency.”

The UN Spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, says there are about 160, 000 South Sudanese refugees who have sought refuge in UN camps in Sudan since the conflict broke out in 2013.

The spokesperson said the priority now is to increase water, sanitation and hygiene interventions in the refugee camps.

However, Dujarric says there are no enough funds to meet these demand.

The UN Spokesperson says the humanitarian community requested for $152 million, to assist South Sudanese refugees in Sudan.

But so far, only 10 per cent of that amount has been contributed.