CRN News Desk| The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has condemned an armed security incident and the forced offloading of humanitarian food assistance during a river convoy operation in Ayod County, Jonglei State, warning that threats against aid workers are obstructing life-saving assistance to vulnerable communities.
WFP said armed youth in Chuilbong assaulted and threatened two humanitarian workers at gunpoint on September 29, preventing food assistance from reaching government-controlled Mogok in Ayod North.
The incident occurred in the presence of local authorities despite extensive negotiations aimed at securing safe passage for the convoy from Chuilbong to Mogok and onward to Ayod South.
According to WFP, the continued resistance and inability of local authorities to guarantee the convoy’s safe passage forced the agency to instruct the team to offload food commodities to protect its personnel.
An estimated 162.54 metric tons of food assistance, intended to support about 4,400 vulnerable people for three months in Mogok, was forcibly removed from the convoy.
WFP said the remaining humanitarian team and assets, including personnel from its cooperating partner Action Against Hunger (ACF), along with approximately 291.48 metric tons of food assistance destined for Ayod South, were secured and safely returned to Malakal on October 2 without further incident.
The incident comes as South Sudan continues to face severe humanitarian needs driven by conflict, displacement, flooding, food insecurity and limited access to essential services. Humanitarian agencies rely heavily on road and river corridors to reach communities in remote areas, particularly in states such as Jonglei where insecurity and difficult terrain can disrupt the delivery of assistance.
The obstruction of humanitarian convoys risks further delaying food and other essential support to communities already facing acute vulnerabilities.
WFP called on all parties to the conflict to respect their obligations under international humanitarian law, protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, and guarantee the safe and unhindered movement of humanitarian personnel and supplies.
The agency stressed that humanitarian workers must be protected from violence, threats and intimidation so they can continue delivering life-saving assistance to communities in need.