JUBA, South Sudan

The UN Population Fund (UNFPA) on Thursday donated essential reproductive health supplies to South Sudan's Health Ministry.

The supplies include maternal health medicines, surgical instruments for delivery, post-rape kits, condoms and contraceptives.

"This support is intended to reach all the health facilities in 8 of the 10 states, with delivery of 533 kits for 185 health facilities,” said Mary Otieno, UNFPA country representative.

Bortel Ohisa Ekoy, a senior official at the Health Ministry, said that the supplies will improve reproductive health services.

“We received consignment of reproductive health commodities from UNFPA as part of contribution towards improving access to quality reproductive health services particularly for the vulnerable people," said Ohisa.

He revealed that the Health Ministry is working to increase access to reproductive health information and services through the implementations of a national health policy.

According to the UN mission in South Sudan, since the outbreak of civil war in 2013, hundreds of women have suffered extreme cases of sexual violence, including gang rape and sexual abuse of minors with impunity.

A coalition of women activists and some men staged a peaceful protest last week demanding an end to impunity for rape and violence against women in the country after a minor was gang raped by three young men after holding her mother hostage at gunpoint.