Hundreds of primary school children who were prevented from sitting their exams by the flaring of inter-communal violence have now starting taking them.

"Everything is going on well... These children appreciate the effort of those who made it possible for them to sit for the exam,” Tung Kuac Koang, Education Officer in Akobo county told the BBC.

Examination papers for 1,732 pupils were flown from the capital city Juba by the UN's children agency Unicef to the seven counties affected - Akobo, Ayod, Fangak (old and new), Nyirol, Nasir, Longechuk and Tonj East.

Exam invigilators were despatched on the same planes.

"This was an important mission for Unicef as access to education is a right for every child, regardless of location,” said Andrea Suley, the agency's South Sudan representative.

Unicef says the papers will be collected at the end of this week and brought to Juba for marking.