South Sudanese women and children wait for humanitarian assistance in Bor. File photo.

The International Committee of the Red Cross says it is also treating some of the victims of the Pibor clashes.

On Monday, medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres said it was looking after tens of the wounded.

This comes after communal clashes were reported in late February in the area, where at least 10 people have been killed.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, ICRC said hundreds of people have been wounded, families forced to flee their homes and villages looted.

“It is the first time we are forced to mobilize all three surgical units we run in the country for one series of related incidents,” said Katja Lorenz, ICRC’s deputy head of delegation in South Sudan.

“We have received hundreds of requests for medical evacuations and we are struggling to meet the needs.”

It stated that it treated nearly 70 people suffering from gunshot wounds over the past two weeks, as fighting broke out between thousands of armed men in several parts of Jonglei state.

“We were able to evacuate the injured only when we had the guarantees from all communities that our team and aircraft would not be targeted,” added Lorenz. “We can’t land and transport the wounded if people are shooting in the area.”

Last week, authorities in Jonglei reported arrival of the displaced people, main women and children, at Anyidi, Bor County.

These clashes come as a new unity government was recently formed, an important milestone in the country’s peace process, but, violence between communities, driven by competition over resources and fueled by easy access to guns, continues, ICRC added.

Last week, the Presidency condemned the inter-communal clashes, but failed to do anything to stop the conflict between Murle and Lou Nuer tribesmen.