South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Benjamin Takpiny
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has registered30 incidents related to humanitarian access constraints across the country in the month of November 2023.
“In November 2023, 30 incidents were reported related to humanitarian access constraints across the country, a slight decrease compared to October 2023, when 32 incidents were reported. The most widespread type of incident was violence against humanitarian personnel and assets, with 20 cases, followed by restriction of movement with eight incident,” it noted in it’s latest report issued in Juba on Thursday.
It noted that violence incidents resulted in the killing of one on-duty humanitarian worker in Jonglei and the detention of 11 humanitarian personnel in Unity, Lakes, and Western Equatoria states.
OCHA said that the seven incidents of humanitarian obstruction took place in Upper Nile State and six Unity state. Western and Eastern Equatoria states had five and three incidents, respectively.
“In Upper Nile State, six of seven incidents were of violence and threats against humanitarian personnel and assets. Similarly, four of six incidents of the same nature were recorded in Unity State,” it said.
It disclosed that violence and threats against humanitarian personnel and assets remained the most frequently reported incidents for the fifth consecutive month, with 20 recorded incidents.
It noted that other reported incidents included, looting/theft of response supplies Robbery/theft/ambush and Detention/arrest. In addition, other incidents included threats, intimidation, harassment , humanitarian compound burglary , physical assault/ injury/ killing and damage/destruction of humanitarian equipment and suspension of humanitarian operations.
“On 07 November in the Greater Pibor Administrative Area, the body of INGO locally recruited personnel was found alongside the road to Nyaat town in Jebel Boma County. The man was killed while on duty by unknown assailants. In November, four incidents of detention and arrest of 11 humanitarian personnel by local police and armed groups were recorded,” it said.
OCHA noted that on 15 November, in Minga Payam of Western Equatoria state, a non-state armed group interrupted a registration process for health items by INGO.
“Two days later, the same group followed the team, and seven staff were detained with accusations of recording sensitive locations and not obtaining permission to conduct registration and distribution activities. As of the reporting date, all staff remain in detention,” it said.
It disclosed that the perpetrators of the majority of all these incidents remain largely unknown.
It however, said that community members’ direct involvement in challenging humanitarian access reduced from seven in October 2023 to three reported incidents in November.
”As a result of active clashes in Leer County, Unity State, at least seven humanitarian personnel from two INGOs were relocated to Juba (two) and Rubkona (six). A further 60 relocatable and non-relocatable humanitarian staff temporarily sought safety in an INGO compound near the UNMISS base in Leer town. The violence resulted in the suspension of humanitarian activities for at least three days county-wide,” said OCHA.
