Statement on the denial of humanitarian access to southern Sudan

NEW YORK - The United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator, in concert with the World Food Programme and UNICEF, today condemned the decision by the Government of Sudan to deny access of OLS flights to 43 locations in southern Sudan. This decision will affect the delivery of humanitarian assistance to about 1.7 million people, who depend on the relief assistance provided by WFP, UNICEF and some 43 humanitarian agencies under the umbrella of Operation Lifeline Sudan.
Lack of access is expected to have serious repercussions on the entire population in the Upper Nile, northern Bahr el Ghazal and Lakes regions. A number of the locations affected by the flight denials in Bahr el Ghazal are crucial to reaching some of the most vulnerable populations frequently displaced by insecurity.

As part of the agreement under which OLS operates, flight requests are submitted to the Government of Sudan and to the Sudanese People's Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A) each month. On average, the Sudanese authorities deny access to 25 locations, which represents approximately 10% of the requests. This is the second month in a row that the Government of Sudan has doubled the number of denied locations, to close to 20% of requests for access.

On behalf of Operations Lifeline Sudan, the Emergency Relief Coordinator strongly urges the Government of Sudan to rescind its decision and immediately grant access to all the denied locations, to enable international agencies to continue delivery of life-saving supplies to the people of Sudan.