Jeff Bryan, Director of the Office of Africa in USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance in Washington speaks during Eye Radio's Dawn show. | 13th Sept 2022. | (Photo: Lou Nelson/Eye Radio.)

The Director of the Office of Africa in USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance in Washington appeals to the government to protect aid workers and ensure the safe delivery of humanitarian assistance to vulnerable populations in hard-to-reach areas.

Jeff Bryan said hindrance and illegal checkpoints are hampering the delivery of humanitarian assistance in the country.

Speaking to Eye Radio on Tuesday, Bryan called on the government to protect humanitarian workers while delivering assistance to needy and flood-stranded populations.

“The government of South Sudan must create an environment where assistance can be delivered safely and effectively by removing bureaucratic barriers, and illegal checkpoints that stop the delivery of humanitarian aid,” he said.

Aid organizations and travelers along main roads and waterways linking the states have complained on several occasions about the increasing number of illegal checkpoints.

Uniformed men are in most cases accused of mounting roadblocks and demanding money from truck drivers, motorists, and humanitarians for them to proceed in their journey.

The unauthorized security forces reportedly command that foreign nationals produce their travel authorization documents even after the visitors have been cleared by the immigration department.

Last month, the United Nations’ food agency, WFP suspended its barge movements in Upper Nile State due to insecurity and illegal checkpoints.

In the statement, the UN ­cited heavy taxation and illegal checkpoints allegedly along river routes, impacting the delivery of supplies by both humanitarian and commercial boat owners.

The practice has prevailed despite a 2016 order from President Salva Kiir, which formed a committee to oversee smooth operations of aid agencies and remove all illegal roadblocks across the country.

“The government of South Sudan needs to do more, the leaders need to ensure that the kinds of economic, political and security reforms that are critical must be put in place to allow access,” said the USAID official.

Bryan also emphasized the need for the government to curtail rampant inter-communal violence, which has killed half a thousand between April and June only.

According to reports, at least 130 humanitarian workers lost their lives, mainly in line of duty in South Sudan since the country’s independence.