The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says that aid groups have reported that nearly 85,000 people have fled the violence in South Sudan to Sudan since mid-December 2013, a UN spokesman said here Thursday.

"More than one third of them are at the Kilo 10 (reception ) site in Sudan's White Nile State, many with limited access to clean water and sanitation," Stephane Dujarric said at a daily briefing here.

With the onset of the rainy season, humanitarian organizations are concerned about access and conditions at Kilo 10, which is prone to flooding, Dujarric said. "They are working with the Government of Sudan to help relocate the South Sudanese to safer areas."

"Humanitarian organizations continue to provide assistance to the South Sudanese arrivals in Sudan," he said. "They have reached over 50,000 people with aid, including food and water, since mid- December. The humanitarian appeal to help the South Sudanese in Sudan is just 36 percent funded."

The fighting in South Sudan broke out last December when clashes erupted between soldiers loyal to Kiir and others loyal to Machar. Kiir accused Machar of leading a coup against him, a charge Machar denied.

As the fighting intensified, Machar fled the capital, Juba, and began leading a rebellion against Kiir, calling on him to step down. The conflict soon took on an ethnic dimension between South Sudan's two largest groups, the Dinka and the Nuer. Kiir is a Dinka, while Machar is a Nuer. Endite

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