South Sudan scraps taxes that threatened UN food aid

Following an appeal from the United Nations, South Sudan recently withdrew taxes and fees that had prompted the suspension of UN food drops. Thousands of people in the country depend on outside help. The UN earlier this week urged South Sudanese authorities to scrap the new taxes, which were introduced in February. The measures applied to electronic freight tracking costs, security escort costs and fuel.

In its announcement Friday, the government said it is maintaining charges for services provided by companies contracted by the U.N. peacekeeping mission in South Sudan. “These companies benefit… (and) are subject to applicable taxes,” said Finance Minister Awow Daniel Chuang.

There was no immediate comment from the UN on when the airdrops could resume.

Earlier, the UN Humanitarian Affairs Agency said the suspension of airdrops in March had deprived 60,000 people living in areas inaccessible by road of much-needed food, and their number is expected to rise to 135,000 by the end of May.

The UN said the new measures would have increased the mission’s monthly operating costs to $339,000. The UN’s food drops feed more than 16,300 people every month.

At the United Nations in New York, U.N. spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said the taxes and duties would also impact the nearly 20,000-strong U.N. peacekeeping mission in South Sudan, “which is reviewing all its activities, including patrols, the construction of police stations, schools and healthcare centers, as well as educational support.” According to the UN, an estimated 9 million of South Sudan’s 12.5 million people need protection and humanitarian assistance. The country has also seen an increase in the number of people fleeing war in neighboring Sudan between rival military and paramilitary forces, further complicating humanitarian aid to those affected by the internal conflict.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)