Delivery of humanitarian aid delayed

The delivery of humanitarian supplies to Guinea Bissau was stepped up last week after delays linked to the closure of the border with Senegal during much of the month of May, according to humanitarian sources in Bissau. “The closure of the border and confusion over whether the border was open or closed at a particular point in time has exacerbated delays in the delivery of much-needed humanitarian assistance,” a humanitarian source told IRIN. “The implications are particularly severe for the agricultural sector with the imminent arrival of the planting season.” the source added. For example, some 75 mt of seeds had been stuck in Senegal, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance (OCHA) in Guinea Bissau said in its most recent report, which covers the period from 18 to 31 May. According to the report, the UN Resident Coordinator in Dakar contacted the Senegalese Minister of the Interior, who gave assurances that the border would be open for humanitarian assistance. As a result, two trucks carrying FAO agricultural supplies arrived in Bafata on 29 May, the OCHA report said. The border’s closure also delayed the arrival of health supplies.