South Sudan urged to end new taxes on humanitarian aid

JUBA – Humanitarian organizations working in South Sudan on Monday urged the government to immediately scrap recently imposed taxes and fees on humanitarian aid, warning that vital aid operations were being disrupted.

Over 60,000 people have been affected by the UN’s suspension of vital food airdrops due to a fuel shortage caused by the new costs.

This number is set to rise to 145,000 by the end of May unless the measures are reversed.

Humanitarian Coordinator for South Sudan, Ms. Anita Kiki Gbeho, acknowledged that some government officials have provided assurances of exemptions for humanitarian workers.

However, she called for immediate action to back up these assurances and prevent UN and NGO operations from grinding to a halt.

“We have already had to pause airdrops, which is impacting families in the hardest-to-reach locations within the context of already pared-back humanitarian operations,” she said.

“We call on the Government of South Sudan to uphold all agreements with humanitarians, including our NGO partners, and immediately remove new taxes and fees so that we can continue to support people in need,” Gbeho added.

The South Sudanese government has imposed new taxes and charges at border crossings and within the country since February.

Despite government assurances to remove these taxes, no formal written commitment has been made.

These measures would add an estimated US$339,000 per month to the cost of food aid and UN Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) operations, equivalent to feeding over 16,300 people for a month.

“It is vital that our limited funds are spent on saving lives and not bureaucratic impediments,” Gbeho emphasized.