Parts of South Sudan barren, U.N. mission says

JUBA, South Sudan, Feb. 25 (UPI) -- The U.N. Support Mission in South Sudan said much of the healthcare system in the country has been looted following rival clashes in Upper Nile state.

UNMISS said it conducted multiple patrols in the Upper Nile city of Malakal where peacekeepers described the situation as "tense."

U.N. Humanitarian Coordinator for South Sudan Toby Lanza reported violence in Upper Nile state erupted in mid February. The conflict stems from a December accusation from President Salva Kiir that his former Vice President Riek Machar launched a coup, an allegation he denies.

The mission said in a statement Monday peacekeepers observed more than 100 bodies along the streets of Malakal, much of the city was destroyed and those who did survive required "urgent medical attention."

A U.N. safe haven in Malakal is providing protection for an estimated 22,000 civilians.

Melker Mabeck, head of the ICRC delegation in South Sudan, said in a statement Saturday he was shocked by the reports of violence "targeting civilians and people who are no longer taking part in the fighting, of deliberate killings and sexual violence" in Malakal.