In March, humanitarian operations were hampered by violence against humanitarian personnel and assets, and restrictions of movement. Sixty access incidents were reported during the month, with the majority occurring in Central Equatoria, Upper Nile and Jonglei. Of these, 43 were cases of violence against personnel or assets, which represents an increase compared to February, when there were 34 such incidents.
IMPACT ON HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE
Restrictions of movement, particularly in Upper Nile and Western Bahr el Ghazal, severely affected humanitarian organizations' ability to reach affected communities in a timely and efficient manner in March. In Upper Nile, access by river was restricted between Malakal and Wau Shilluk from mid-February until mid-March. Although humanitarian access restrictions were lifted following intense negotiations, freedom of movement for civilians was not granted and families stranded on either side of the river bank were unable to be reunited. In Western Bahr el Ghazal, access outside of Wau town was restricted and a number of missions were cancelled because they were turned back at checkpoints or due to rising insecurity