The Government must continue to focus its efforts on humanitarian assistance in South Sudan, says Tearfund.

The world's newest country has been blighted by ethnic infighting and intensifying clashes along the border with Sudan.

The border dispute is concentrated on Kordofan state, where fighting has triggered a humanitarian crisis affecting more than 20,000 people.

Head of policy at Christian development agency Tearfund, Laura Taylor, said the UK Government must fund humanitarian needs in South Sudan, as well as the country's development.

“The scale of support required remains significant due to poor harvests, rising food prices, internal insecurity and displacement," she said.

"These needs look set to continue for many years, and so although there is rightly a desire to move towards development, humanitarian efforts should not slow down as a result."

In addition to responding to the humanitarian crisis, she called upon the Government to invest in health, education and infrastructure.

"These are problems that we have witnessed communities struggling with first hand through our programmes and the work of our local church partner agencies in South Sudan."

With tens of thousands of South Sudanese returning from Sudan, Ms Taylor said there was a need to provide them with emergency water, sanitation and healthcare.

An estimated 372,000 people have returned to South Sudan since last October but the influx has put a strain on the country's scarce resources.