A new statistical analysis shows that over 380,000 South Sudanese have died as result of the conflict since December 2013.

The report titled: Estimates of Crisis-attributable Mortality in South Sudan was published by the London School Hygiene and Tropical Medicine-funded by the US state department.

It revealed that about half of the dead were killed in fighting across the country and the other half died from disease, hunger and other causes exacerbated by the conflict.

Most of the death toll occurred in the northeast and southern regions of the country, and appeared to peak in 2016 and 2017, according to the report.

Those killed were mostly adult males but also included women and children. Unexpectedly, the share of infant mortality was low, and estimates of the under-five death rate were no higher during the war period than before it, it added.

According to the director of the US-based rights group-the Enough Project and Co-Founder of The Sentry, John Prendergast, the figure indicates that the war was deadly.

“The world has struggled to respond to the enormity of South Sudan’s crisis, and until now was dramatically underestimating how deadly this war has been,” he said.

“With the peace agreement that was signed earlier this month being so structurally flawed, it is likely this number will continue its inexorable climb until the root causes of South Sudan’s violence are addressed.”

Meanwhile, the Deputy Director of Policy at the Enough Project, Brian Adeba, said there is need to hold perpetrators of the war accountable.

The government is yet to comment on the report.

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