Number of refugees fleeing South Sudan tops one million - U.N.

26-year-old Azam from South Sudan stands on rail tracks after failing to flee to Italy in the western Greek town of Patras April 28, 2015. REUTERS/Yannis Behrakis

LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - The number of South Sudanese who have fled their conflict-ridden homeland for a neighbouring country passed one million this week following renewed violence, the U.N. refugee agency (UNHCR) said on Friday.

Most refugees are women and children, UNHCR spokesman Leo Dobbs told a press briefing in Geneva.