The Directorate of Nationality in Aweil Town, Northern Bahr el Ghazal State has expressed concern over the shortage of assessment of age and birth certificates.
Speaking to Radio Miraya, the State Director for the Directorate of Nationality, Atak Diing Wol said lack of the certificates will affect the process of issuing nationality cards.
“Work is going on well-but technically; there is shortage in the birth and the assessment of age certificates. Nationality forms will not be issued without these certificates because they are requirements which are obtained in order to process nationality cards. So whenever, someone comes to process a nationality card, we send them first to the medical commission to process the assessment of age certificate or birth certificate. Previously it was okay, but due to shortage of these certificates, work has stopped,” says Wol.
Meanwhile, the Director of Aweil Civil Hospital, Garang Thomas Dhel said that the documents have been delayed due to administrative and financial arrangements between the State Ministry of Health and the Ministry of finance.
“Concerning age assessment, these certificates were issued from our medical commission here in the hospital for long but due to administration and some financial preparations between Ministry of Health and Ministry of finance, things were stuck a little but they are being processed and by the end of this week, they should be ready,” Dhel.
Children born between the years 2011 and 2013 have not received birth certificates because they are not available in the hospital.