IOM concerned over denial of humanitarian access in S. Sudan

September 12, 2016 (JUBA) – The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said that humanitarian aid has been denied access parts of South Sudan.

“At the same time as we see the needs continue to grow, access constraints are making it more difficult for humanitarians to access vulnerable people or even measure the scale of displacement and unfolding needs as violence spreads to new locations,” said John McCue, IOM South Sudan Head of Operations.

Due to clashes, over 90,000 people have been displaced from Wau and Juba alone in the past two months, IOM said, evidence of how continued fighting is driving displacement in South Sudan.

The hardest hit areas include Central Equatoria, Eastern Equatoria, Jonglei, Unity, Western Bahr el Ghazal, Western Equatoria and Unity, IOM said, and has stressed humanitarian needs in those areas had increased.

According to the United Nations agency, insecurity in Yei, Morobo, and Magwi countries is preventing South Sudanese from fleeing Africa’s newest nation.

More than 1.6 million people are internally displaced across South Sudan, in addition to 786,000 people who have fled to neighboring nations since December 2013 while over 6 million people reportedly need humanitarian aid.

(ST)