Violence forces Oxfam out of South Sudan

Conflict between Sudan and South Sudan forced humanitarian aid group Oxfam to relocate some of its staff, the agency said. Oxfam, in a statement, said bombing raids and the presence of military forces along the border between Sudan and South Sudan created significant complications to an already troublesome humanitarian crisis. The aid agency said its staff on the ground in South Sudan reported heavy bombing and the buildup of South Sudanese troops in the region last week. Sanjay Awasthi, director of operations for Oxfam in South Sudan, said refugees were fleeing regional violence only to come to refugee camps where there's nothing to offer because of complications brought on by violence. "Oxfam is significantly reducing its response and relocating staff from two locations in Upper Nile state in South Sudan, where it has been providing clean water and sanitation for 64,000 people," the agency added. South Sudan became an independent nation in July as part of a comprehensive peace agreement brokered with Washington's help in 2005. Border demarcation issues, ethnic conflicts and disputes over oil threaten to unravel the peace deal, however.