At least one hundred eighty-three cases of gender-based violence were reported to health workers between January and April this year, according to statistics from the Family Protection Center of the Juba Teaching Hospital.
The figures indicate sharp rise in domestic violence since the government in March imposed restrictions measures due to spread of the Covid-19, said Mary Otieno UNFPA Country Representative in South Sudan, Radio Bakhita reported.
She attributed the increase to Covid-19 lockdown and decrease in economic activity.
‘Another ninety-one cases of gender-based violence were recorded since the partial lockdown was imposed on March, also two hundred fifty cases of violence between couples were also recorded in the same period’, she added.
Most of the cases involved sexual violence and physical assaults.
Ayaa Benjamin, Minister of Gender, Child and Social Welfare called on the public to join hands in fighting domestic violence in the country.
She advised the victims of domestic violence to report perpetrators to authorities to help in the administration of justice.
The officials were giving their remarks on Monday during the UNFPA donation of dignity kits worth half a million US Dollars to South Sudan to meet the sanitary needs of vulnerable women and helping victims of gender-based violence.