China provides humanitarian aid for S Sudan

BEIJING -- China's peacekeeping police will continue to provide humanitarian aid for South Sudanese civilians amid the ongoing armed conflict in the country, China's Ministry of National Defense said on Friday.

A total of 14 Chinese people so far have been evacuated from the country with the assistance of Chinese peacekeeping police, according to the ministry.

China's peacekeeping police have set up a refugee camp with capacity to house more than 10,000 people in South Sudan, the ministry added.

"Chinese military medical workers will provide the utmost humanitarian medical aid for South Sudanese," Lu Chunlei, head of the Chinese medical peacekeeping team in South Sudan, told Xinhua in a telephone interview.

During the past two weeks, South Sudan has witnessed clashes which have left thousands dead and more civilians displaced. Some 63,000 have taken refuge at various United Nations (UN) compounds around the country.

Emergency medicine and medical facilities have been prepared by Chinese medical peacekeepers there in order to treat the wounded, Lu said, adding that a remote medical system linking domestic hospitals has been launched.

Twelve Chinese military observers or staff officers have been shuttling across various refugee camps to collect up-to-date information for the UN.

As many as 350 peacekeeping police are carrying out peacekeeping missions in the country, the ministry said.