Hundreds fleeing South Sudan violence reach Sudan

(Image: BBC)

At least 1,700 people fleeing violence between armed factions in South Sudan's northern Upper Nile state have crossed into Sudan, the state-owned Sudanese news agency Suna has reported.

The UN agency Unicef had earlier said that violence between armed groups in Upper Nile state that started in August was forcing thousands of women and children to flee their homes amid reports of rising civilian deaths, injuries and abductions.

The clashes have since spread to Jonglei and Unity states.

On Wednesday, the UN said that the violence had killed at least 166 people.

A member of Sudan's state-run Humanitarian Aid Commission, Salah Taaj al-Sir, told Suna that large numbers of South Sudanese fleeing the violence had arrived in the border state of White Nile.

He called on aid groups to provide urgent assistance to the refugees.