Roudnup: Renewed fighting in South Sudan hampers relief supplies

Humanitarian agencies in South Sudan say they are finding it hard to access those in need after renewed fighting between warring factions broke out in the capital Juba and then spread to other areas.

Relief groups told Xinhua on Wednesday in Juba that the fighting had strained humanitarian access to those in need in areas like Wau, Leer in Unity state and hitherto peaceful Equatoria region where intense fighting in Yei area was reported in recent weeks.

"We are being denied access to thousands of people in desperate need by warring parties. Tens of thousands of displaced people in Wau, Leer and the Equatoria states are suffering largely out of sight as we and other humanitarian actors are not permitted to assist them," said Ton Berg, the head of mission for Medicins Sans Frontieres (MSF) South Sudan.

The July fighting between troops led by President Salva Kiir and those loyal to Vice President Riek Machar killed at least 272 people and forced over 100,000 to seek refuge in neighbouring countries.

Berg said clashes in parts of the country were hindering MSF's ability to respond to humanitarian needs.

The medical charity says there was a deterioration of respect for international humanitarian law recently. "Two MSF clinics were destroyed during the fighting in Greater Upper Nile region three weeks ago," Berg said.

He however said MSF had set up mobile health clinics and surgeries for the wounded, and started a cholera vaccination campaign with a cholera treatment center established in collaboration with the Ministry of Health.

The World Food Programme (WFP)'s main warehouse in Juba was looted in the wake of the July fighting and 4,500 metric tonnes of food that would have fed 220,000 people for a month was lost.

"Declining donor funding and procurement delays mean it will take months to restock these supplies, and longer still to transport them to those South Sudanese outside Juba who need them the most," said Rama Antony, the acting South Sudan director of Oxfam, a UK-based charity group.

He told Xinhua that the arrival of newly displaced people seeking shelter had led to increased challenges.

"The more people you have in a community, the more use of available facilities, which in the case of water and sanitation facilities for example, can increase the risk of infection and disease," he said.

Rama also said that if the security situation deteriorated further anywhere in the country, provision of assistance would be hampered.

"Humanitarian aid has probably already prevented famine in hard-to-reach parts of South Sudan but if aid agencies cannot operate fully, the consequences could be catastrophic," he said.

On the other hand, army spokesman Lul Ruai Koang denied any knowledge of the government troops blocking aid delivery.

Minister of Information Micheal Makuei told journalists in Juba that the number of those in need of assistance was being exaggerated by aid groups.

"These are reports written by humanitarian organizations in order to raise more funds and we are not told how these funds are used," Makuei said.

The government this year passed a controversial NGO bill that restricts movement and operation of most humanitarian agencies in the country.

NGOs had complained of the restrictions, while in the aftermath of the July fighting, more hurdles appeared.

"We have never objected to unhindered humanitarian access but we encourage them to follow the process," Makuei said, hinting that government troops should not be blamed for the hinderances.

Kiir and Machar's forces had fought a civil war which broke out in December 2013 and left tens of thousands dead. A peace deal signed in August 2015 by the rival leaders under UN pressure failed to quell the renewed violence.

Machar, whose whereabouts remain unknown, has vowed to fight on and overthrow President Kiir's government unless a protection force agreed upon by the African Union and the UN is deployed to the war-torn country. Endit