300,000 in South Sudan war zone 'without aid' as UN pulls out

Over 300,000 South Sudanese civilians are without "life saving aid" in the northern battleground state of Unity, the United Nations said Monday, as it and aid agencies pulled out due to heavy fighting.

"Ongoing hostilities in Unity state have now obliged all non-governmental organisations and UN agencies to evacuate staff from Leer and other locations," UN aid chief in South Sudan Toby Lanzer said in a statement. "As a consequence, over 300,000 civilians who are in need of emergency relief, including food aid and medical services, do not currently have access to such life-saving assistance."