South Sudan: Humanitarian Access Snapshot (January 2025)

In January, the humanitarian community in South Sudan continued to face constraints in delivering life-saving humanitarian services, with 33 access incidents – including bureaucratic access impediments, violence, threats to assets, facilities and personnel and physical access impediments – reported across the country.

Nine reports of bureaucratic impediments were received, including detention and cash extortion of UN contractors in Unity and Upper Nile states and interference in the recruitment of humanitarian staff in Upper Nile’s Renk County: the reported incidents all share the same revenue goal. Specific challenges including demands for sub-national registration in Ulang County, illegal demand for payment of personal income tax to 30 per cent and demands for payment in US dollars in various counties of Upper Nile State were reported. The nationalgovernment too announced its intention to increase annual workpermit fees from a maximum of $250 to US$5,000 for international NGO personnel.

Incidents of violence and threats against humanitarian assets, facilities and personnel perpetuated by various armed groups continued to occur across the country, endangering staff and jeopardizing essential humanitarian operations. In Upper Nile, two boats contracted by an international NGO carrying supplies and personnel to Ulang County encountered unidentified gunfire from the riverbank on the Sobat River near Nasir, in which one NGO staff member was wounded. In Warrap State, armed local youth looted 68 MT of humanitarian food consignment in Panliet, Gogrial West, which were destined for Wunrok in Twic County. In the Greater Pibor Administrative Area, UN contracted vehicles were attacked by armed groups on the road to Gumuruk. In the Abyei Administrative Area, a shot was fired by an unidentified perpetrator at a refugee transit centre, resulting in one refugee sustaining life-threatening injuries.

Physical access along the Nile River, particularly to island communities of Twic East and Duk counties of Jonglei State, remains limited due to blockage by vegetation. Road access to Unity’s Mayom County remains impassable due to last year’s flooding, slowing down the delivery of supplies in response to the cholera outbreak and hindering the timely delivery of medical supplies needed to combat cholera.