JOHANNESBURG — The United Nations refugee agency says about 60,000 people have fled South Sudan since fighting broke out between rival army factions almost four weeks ago.

The agency says about 52,000 people went to Uganda, 7,000 to Sudan and 1,000 to Kenya.

The U.N. says almost 900,000 South Sudanese have left their country since civil war broke out in December 2013. A peace deal reached a year ago has been repeatedly threatened by fighting.

People fleeing South Sudan have reported being turned back by armed groups on the road to Uganda. The United Nations says about 85 percent of the people arriving in Uganda are women and children.

The U.N. also says many of the 250,000 refugees inside South Sudan from other countries have been affected by the fighting.