South Sudan's Kiir promises safe access to starving civilians as famine bites

Women carry sacks of food in Nimini village, Unity State, northern South Sudan, February 8, 2017. REUTERS/Siegfried Modola

JUBA (Reuters) - South Sudan's President Salva Kiir on Tuesday promised aid agencies safe access to hunger-stricken civilians, a day after his government declared a famine in parts of the war-ravaged country.

South Sudan has been mired in civil war since 2013 and the United Nations said on Monday it was unable to reach some of the worst hit areas because of the insecurity.