Juba, Oct 7 (IANS): At least 78 local humanitarian workers, including three international staff, have been evacuated from South Sudan's restive Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA) following threats by jobless youth over employment, a local official said.

Jay Adigora Alual, Minister of Information in GPAA in a statement issued in Juba confirmed the airlifting of these humanitarian workers, adding that he is set to hold a dialogue with the angry youth on Thursday, reports Xinhua news agency.

The youth on Monday issued a 72-hour deadline for humanitarian workers to vacate Pibor, accusing them of denying them employment opportunities which they said were instead taken up by South Sudanese nationals from other areas.

Adigora revealed that they will deploy security forces to deter these youth from resorting to violence.

Matthew Hollingworth, Humanitarian Coordinator ad interim in South Sudan on Tuesday criticized the threat on humanitarian workers.

South Sudan is struggling to recover from years of conflict since an outbreak in December 2013 that has weakened its economy amid high inflation.