Insecurity in northern Unity State potentially threatens the supply of refugees sheltering near the Sudanese border, the United Nations said Tuesday.
An aid truck carrying supplies toward refugee camps Yida and Adjuong Thok was ambushed and the drivers abducted, said OCHA, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, in a regular situation report on Tuesday.
The aid agency cited reports that the attack took place in Guit and Kock on 16 February. “An aid truck convoy was ambushed on the Yida to Mayom Road during the week, resulting in the abduction of three private contractors,” stated OCHA.
“If the security situation along the road deteriorates further, aid agencies may not be able to pre-position relief supplies for some 78,000 Sudanese refugees hosted in Yida and other surrounding sites,” it added.
Disruptions to supply routes in northern Unity State would also potentially affect operations to help affected people in Bentiu and southern Unity, since the Lakes-Unity route is closed. Aid agencies plan soon to carry out an assessment in the Nyal and Ganylel areas, where an estimated 45,000 people are displaced.
Nationwide, the total displacement estimate has risen to 872,900, including 716,100 internally displaced people in South Sudan and 156,800 South Sudanese refugees in neighboring countries.
OCHA also reported that overcrowding at UN compounds continues to be a problem, including at Bor, where people are living “with an estimated ratio of 9 square meters per person compared with the international standard of 30 square meters.”
Aid workers have been preparing to reorganize the camp site within the Bor base in order to improve drainage works and potentially increase the amount of space available.
Access into opposition-held areas of Jonglei is meanwhile still constrained, with OCHA saying that relief organizations “need security clearance from authorities for charter flights to airlift supplies to locations such as Akobo, Lankien and Waat in Jonglei State, which is slowing down the response.”
However, the UN aid agency noted also that three food security teams were deployed to Lankien, Old Fangak and Pibor town in Jonglei State, in order to start up food distributions.
Related:
Attacks threaten supply line to Bentiu (10 Feb.)
Key humanitarian updates, 14 Feb.
Key humanitarian updates, 12 Feb.
Key humanitarian updates, 9 Feb.
File photo: A UN relief flight to Yida camp, rain season 2012 (Radio Tamazuj)