UN-OCHA

A UN agency says there has been reduction of humanitarian access incidents across the country since the year began.

In a statement, the UN Office for Coordination Humanitarian Affairs says aid agencies reported only 35 incidents in January 2019.

OCHA said  “nearly a quarter of them involved violence against humanitarian personnel and assets.”

It said that the figure represents a reduction in violent incidents as compared to the 2018 monthly average of 52 per cent.

However, in a separate statement, OCHA said there was still insecurity in Ulang in Upper Nile region. This has “resulted in the relocation of 38 humanitarian staff from the area and minor disruptions to programs,” it said.

Elsewhere, it also said there is an increasing number of checkpoints along the Juba-Bentiu corridor.

OCHA estimated 57 checkpoints on the roads with truck owners paying an average of 700,000 South Sudanese pounds – an equivalent of around 4,500 US dollars.

It stated that the operational interference and bureaucratic impediments continued to hinder response areas such as Fangak, Juba, Nasir and Rubkona.

This, it said contradicted the 2017 republican order for free and unhindered movement of humanitarian  convoys.