Aid agencies need an additional fund of $600 million to start next year’s humanitarian operations in South Sudan, the United Nations deputy humanitarian chief has said.

Kyung Wha Kang made the announcement after a visit to internally displaced people’s camps in Juba and in Upper Nile State.

She described the violence in South Sudan as ‘devastating’ and called for peace and scaling-up of humanitarian operations.

“I want to emphasize first of all that the violence must stop. I appeal to all authorities adhere to the ceasefire commitment, resolve the difference peacefully, facilitate and first to scale up and expand the aid operation and agree to a lasting peace that benefit the people,” Ms Kang said.

“Second children must be allowed to have a future and I call on the all part in the conflict to ensure that occupations of schools and health facilities end.”

She added that the additional funding will be used to preposition food during the dry season.

“Funding that comes now will save more lives and I appeal to humanitarian donor organizations to continue to fund us; the funding must be sustained to meet the great need to preposition during the dry season and we need 600 million dollars by mid-February.”

Ms Kyung also met with government representatives and humanitarian partners to discuss ways of improving access and strengthening protections of civilians in the country.