Human Rights Commissioner Christoph Strässer on the expulsion of the UN Secretary-General's Deputy Special Representative and Humanitarian Coordinator of the UN Mission in South Sudan

BERLIN, Germany, June 8, 2015/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Christoph Strässer, Federal Government Commissioner for Human Rights Policy and Humanitarian Aid issued the following statement on 5 June 2015 on the expulsion of Toby Lanzer, the UN Secretary-General’s Deputy Special Representative and Humanitarian Coordinator of the UN Mission in South Sudan:

The humanitarian situation in South Sudan has worsened further as a result of the fighting. Those affected by the hostilities need the assistance of the international community. Mr Lanzer’s expulsion is contrary to South Sudan’s obligations to allow the provision of humanitarian assistance and is unacceptable. To ensure that those in need receive life-saving support, it is essential that the work of humanitarian organisations is not hindered.

Background information:

At the beginning of the week, South Sudan’s Government expelled Toby Lanzer, the Secretary-General’s Deputy Special Representative and Humanitarian Coordinator of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). The EU member states, as well as UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the US, have condemned this decision. Due to the precarious situation in South Sudan, 6.4 million people depend on humanitarian aid; more than half of them are affected by severe food insecurity. Some 1.55 million displaced persons have been hit by the ongoing conflict, while 555,000 refugees have fled to neighbouring countries.

The Federal Foreign Office has been funding relief measures in South Sudan for many years and has provided more than 30 million euros since 2014. The focus of the projects is on medical care, food, emergency shelters as well as water and sanitation.