The World Health Organization says its staff have been obstructed from doing their work in South Sudan's capital and expressed concern about the conflict's likely impact on healthcare services.

Spokesman Tarik Jašareviæ said in a statement that “the movement of WHO staff in Juba was being restricted by military forces.” He did not provide more details. 

But he said that some days ago the WHO had managed to supply the Juba Teaching Hospital with essential medicine and body bags. “Medical kits would be distributed to partners on protection of civilians sites, and the WHO was mobilizing additional human and financial resources,” he said.

Jašareviæ pointed out, however, that even before the latest fighting the healthcare sector faced funding shortfalls this year. “Out of the USD 7.5 million which the WHO needed for health interventions in South Sudan, only USD 4.3 million had been received thus far. The health cluster as a whole was only 28 percent funded,” UN agency reported.