The number of South Sudanese refugees in Ethiopia could rise substantially if fighting continues, the United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs has warned.

“Without a political solution, and with more fighting and major food security challenges in South Sudan, that number could rise to 350,000 by the end of the first quarter of 2015,” she warned.

Following the end of a four-day mission to Ethiopia, the Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Ms. Kyung-wha Kang, noted that nearly 194,000 South Sudanese have arrived in Ethiopia since the conflict in South Sudan began.

She said that 90% of the refugees were women and children.

“I thank the people and Government of Ethiopia for their generosity in welcoming refugees from neighboring countries and for their tireless efforts to respond to people’s needs,” Ms. Kang said.

Kyung-wha Kang has called for continued international attention to the plight of South Sudanese refugees.

She emphasized that current funding is not enough to ensure that all refugees receive humanitarian assistance and services.

She also stressed that while the South Sudanese refugee crisis in western Ethiopia is the newest emergency in the country, the plight of Eritrean and Somali refugees must also be kept on the radar.