The Humanitarian Community in South Sudan has strongly condemned the recent attack on aid workers in Jonglei State in which two people were killed and several others injured.
On Friday, a humanitarian convoy of more than 100 trucks transporting food and other humanitarian assistance came under attack.
Two contracted drivers were shot in the attack. One was fatally injured and the other died in a road traffic accident as a direct result of the incident.
Meshack Malo, Humanitarian Coordinator and head of FAO in South Sudan, calls for an end to the recurring acts of violence targeting humanitarian staff.
He says it is disrupting the delivery of life-saving assistance to needy people in South Sudan.
“The humanitarian community is appalled by the continued attacks targeting humanitarians and their assets. These recurring acts of violence disrupt the delivery of life-saving assistance and must end,” Mr. Meshack Malo said.
The humanitarian Coordinator calls on the authorities to take urgent action to improve security, to protect civilians, humanitarian personnel, and commodities, and bring perpetrators to justice.
WFP Country Director Mary-Ellen McGroarty says the World Food Programme has been forced to temporarily pause its convoy movements outside Bor town in Jonglei State.
“The safety and security of staff and contractors is paramount and when incidents like this occur it is women, men, and children in desperate need of assistance who suffer the most,” she adds.
According to their report, before this recent incident, three aid workers have been killed while on duty providing critical services to the most vulnerable affected by the protracted humanitarian situation, since the beginning of the year.
South Sudan remains one of the most dangerous places for aid workers, with nine humanitarian workers killed in the line of duty and 418 incidents reported in 2022.