International aid organizations will resume working in rebel-held Pagak in South Sudan after pulling out last month citing harrasment and threats during a rebel leadership conference in the town.
UN Humanitarian Coordinator Toby Lanzer on 23 April stated, “Aid workers there have been harassed and threatened and their freedom of movement has been impeded… As a consequence, aid workers have left Pagak until such a time when the conditions for them to be present there… are re-established.”
According to an SPLM-IO source in the rebel group’s relief commission, SSRRA, the aid groups plan to go back to Pagak as early as tomorrow. “Last week a team of [UN] Security went to the location and met with SSRRA team and the leadership there. Another team left to Pagak today,” he told Radio Tamazuj today.
Weekly UN humanitarian flights are scheduled to resume this week, according to a humanitarian source.
For his part, Gatwech Kulang, SSRRA director said, “Personally I have been in touch with UNOCHA regarding to this case and we came to understanding with them.”