MALAKAL, South Sudan 

The town of Malakal, the not-so-long-ago vibrant and beautiful capital of South Sudan's Upper Nile State, is now a mere shadow of what it used to be.

The town has been devastated by recent fighting between government forces and rebel groups loyal to ousted vice-president Riek Machar.

Many of the town's buildings have been destroyed, many government facilities vandalized. The main marketplace – along with numerous shops, offices and banks – has also been ransacked.

Many people have been killed, both in the town and on its outskirts. Numerous others have been displaced, taking refuge at UN compounds, hospitals and churches within the town and in other states.

At Malakal Teaching Hospital, displaced people have set up a camp in hopes of escaping the violence.

Rebecca Nyamana, a mother in her 50s, is one of those who have sought refuge at the facility.

"Life here is so hard," she told Anadolu Agency. "People are sleeping out in the open. At night, we're in constant fear that the rebels might come back again."

Food supplies in the local market, meanwhile, which has been relocated to the hospital, are dwindling, sending prices sky high.

The strategic, oil-rich town has changed hands several times since the conflict began in mid-December, when President Salva Kiir accused Machar of standing behind a failed coup attempt against his regime.

"Malakal will be secured because the rebels are now being dispersed far away," said Upper Nile State Governor Simon Kun Puoch.

"There are still pockets of fighting, but they're not near; [they are] very far away," added the governor, whose own home in the town was recently burnt to the ground.

"The government is working towards rebuilding the town," he said. "Traders should bring in their goods at a low price."

"This has been the most senseless war," added Kun Puoch. "There's need for continuous dialogue to solve the crisis."

The violence has already claimed the lives of more than 10,000 people.

During a recent visit to the country, Amos Valerie, UN undersecretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator, said that 3.7 million people were severely food insecure, while more than 820,000 had been displaced.

-Fearful-

Maria Kunijwok Kwawang, minister of gender and child welfare in Upper Nile State, said women and children were bearing the brunt of the crisis.

"The fear is that children and women are living in open spaces and very vulnerable to disease outbreaks," she said. "Measures need to be put in place to curb the situation and I'm calling on them to go home."

But her calls have fallen on deaf ears, as those at the makeshift refugee camp continue to fear for their lives.

Nyamana, for her part, said those displaced could not return to their homes fearing the continued presence of militants in the area.

"The rebels are still around," she lamented. "Sometimes we get reports that they have come nearer, scaring people."

She added: "We can't go home yet because we may be killed."

Odouiko Athar Peter, who has also sought refuge at the facility, said he still could not risk leaving the refuge center, despite mounting food scarcity.

"People go hungry here, but security is still not okay," he told AA.

"There are even decomposing bodies still lying around on the outskirts of the town and the rebels are still near, posing a threat to our lives," he added.

Peter, his own home recently razed to the ground, says he now has nothing to go back to.

"At any time, the rebels may strike; the government has to look into this issue critically," he said. "We're still living in fear."

By Okech Francis

englishnews@aa.com.tr