South Sudan: Humanitarian partners call for removal of new import taxes
April 28, 2024 (JUBA) – Humanitarian partners in South Sudan have called for the urgent removal of recently imposed taxes and charges, amid concerns that they are impacting on delivery of humanitarian assistance for people in need.
More than 60,000 people have already been affected after the United Nations was forced to pause life-saving airdrops of food assistance as fuel runs low, and that this will increase to 145,000 by end of May, if the measures remain in place.
South Sudan government earlier said humanitarians are exempted from the taxes.
The Humanitarian Coordinator for South Sudan, Anita Kiki Gbeho urged action by the government on these assurances to prevent humanitarian operations by the UN and non-governmental organizations from coming to a standstill.
“We have already had to pause airdrops, which is impacting families in the hardest-to-reach locations within the context of already pared-back humanitarian operations. We call on the Government of South Sudan to uphold all agreements with humanitarians, including our NGO partners, and immediately remove new taxes and fees so that we can continue to support people in need,” she said.
Since February, the government has imposed a series of new taxes and charges at border crossings and in the country and although authorities had assured that these taxes will be removed, there has been no written commitment to date.
According to the UN, these measures would add $339,000 monthly to the cost of food assistance and the United Nations Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) operations, which is enough to feed more than 16,300 people for a month.
“It is vital that our limited funds are spent on saving lives and not bureaucratic impediments,” stressed the humanitarian coordinator.
The imposition of new taxes, the UN said, contravenes the Status of Forces Agreement signed by individual agencies with the Government of South Sudan and Section 7 of the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the UN, which exempts it from all direct taxes and duties on imports of supplies for its official use.
An estimated 9 million people in South Sudan need protection and humanitarian assistance in 2024. The 2024 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan (HNRP) reflects the Humanitarian Country Team’s appeal of $1.8 billion to reach 6 million of the most vulnerable people in extreme acute situations with urgent vital support. However, as of April 2024, only 18.5 per cent of the 2024 HNRP is funded.
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) projects 7.1 million people to be at risk of experiencing high levels of acute food insecurity during this year’s lean season, with 79,000 people at risk of catastrophic levels of food insecurity
As of 28 April, aid agencies say, more than 650,000 people have arrived in South Sudan from Sudan, with most of them in urgent need of humanitarian assistance.
(ST)