Sudan begins implementation of humanitarian plan for South Sudan
November 9, 2014 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese government has announced it began implementation of the plan to deliver humanitarian assistance to thousands of people affected by the war in South Sudan.
Sudan’s Humanitarian Aid Commission (HAC) said that another convoy carrying humanitarian assistances has left to South Sudan from the town of Kosti in the White Nile state on Monday through the river transportation.
The UN World Food Programme (WFP) on Sunday described the arrival of the convoy in South Sudan as “major breakthrough”, saying it reflects a high degree of cooperation between Khartoum and Juba.
On 28 August, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Sudan said that representatives from the governments of Sudan and South Sudan have approved an operational plan that will open a humanitarian corridor between the two countries.
The plan, which was developed and prepared by the WFP, will enable the latter to deliver close to 63,000 metric tonnes of life-saving food assistance to 744,000 people in the northern parts of South Sudan who have been affected by the conflict in South Sudan since December 2013.
Following a meeting with the then head of UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), Hilde Johnson, last June, Sudan’s first vice-president Bakri Hassan Saleh agreed to facilitate the transportation of humanitarian assistance to South Sudan.
In July, the two countries signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to allow the expedition of aid across its border and river transport to feed thousands of affected civilians.
Johnson at that time said that the UN relies heavily on Sudan to deliver humanitarian assistance to the people of South Sudan, besides contributing to resolving the ongoing conflict in the newborn state.
WFP deputy country director. Margot van der Velden, demanded in a press conference on Sunday the governments of Sudan and South Sudan to extend the MOU signed between them on the expedition of humanitarian assistance.
She pointed to the formation of a joint committee including representatives from both countries to deal with issues of security and transportation of goods from Sudan to South Sudan saying the committee has developed a plan to deliver aid.
Van der Velden also said the trucks which arrived in South Sudan carrying oil and sorghum had left Kosti on Friday to Renk and then to Maloot, noting that 1800 tonnes of foodstuff will be transferred to South Sudan at the end of this week through river transportation to aid the largest possible number of the affected population.
She stressed that more than 54.000 are suffering from the ongoing conflict in South Sudan.
South Sudan’s ambassador to Khartoum, Mayan Dot, acknowledged the difficult humanitarian situation in his country, saying that large numbers of South Sudanese have fled to various Sudanese states.
He also said that several states in South Sudan particularly Upper Nile and Jonglei have seen population displacement to Ethiopia, denying that his country suffers from famine.
Mayan also pointed that South Sudan’s rebels took control of certain pockets, denying that they control the borders between Sudan and South Sudan.
The humanitarian situation in South Sudan has deteriorated drastically as result of the violence that erupted in the country since 15 December 2013. UN agencies estimate that about 4.9 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance in South Sudan, among them 1.5 million IDPs.
(ST)