S /Sudan’s president assures UN of humanitarian access amid clashes

South Sudanese President Salva Kiir has assured the United Nations (UN) of his government’s commitment to granting humanitarian agencies unimpeded access to all affected areas across the country.

During a meeting with the visiting UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher in the capital, Juba, Kiir pledged to facilitate the swift delivery of relief supplies to communities in need nationwide.

Fletcher, who arrived in South Sudan on Friday, said that the president reaffirmed his government’s willingness to ensure that humanitarian agencies have unrestricted activities in the country, a move he said is crucial in ensuring that urgent aid reaches displaced and flood-affected communities.

Albino Akol Atak, South Sudan’s minister of humanitarian affairs and disaster management said the president had directed the ministry to strengthen coordination with UN agencies and other humanitarian partners to address the current crisis.

The UN said that a recent escalation of fighting in Jonglei State has exacerbated this crisis, displacing more than 280,000 people and disrupting markets, agricultural activities, and basic services, leaving many communities with little or no access to food.