The S&D Group in the European Parliament expressed concerns today about the international humanitarian aid situation in South Sudan, underlining that this aid must ensure that the people of South Sudan have food security and do not return to emergency or famine levels. Despite a provisional peace agreement signed last week, fighting between the forces of the government and the opposition continue and risk intensifying, causing casualties and terror amongst civilians, as well as tension in an already instable region.
The S&Ds denounce the government's planned NGO bill, which will restrict the ability of NGOs to deliver much-needed humanitarian relief to South Sudan and compounding the already difficult circumstances NGOs face in the country – an increasingly worrying trend of harassment and interference targeting humanitarian workers in South Sudan, as well as crackdowns on civil society and democratic freedoms.
Said S&D vice-president Enrique Guerrero Salom and European Parliament standing rapporteur on humanitarian aid said:
"We call for the international community to focus on the humanitarian situation and we welcome the EU's leading contribution (a third of the overall global contribution), while reiterating that the only long-term solution is a political one - especially in times of budget constraints. In that sense, we support the efforts of the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development and the African Union to promote an inclusive dialogue towards peace and reconciliation
"The people of South Sudan must receive unrestricted access to basic services (water, healthcare, food etc.) in all areas. Particular attention should be paid to protecting women who are routinely the targets of rape and violence, and children who are increasingly recruited as soldiers, as well as ensuring safe reception of refugees at the borders."
