WFP condemns attack, forced offloading of aid in Jonglei

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has condemned a security incident in Jonglei State in which armed youth reportedly assaulted humanitarian workers and forced the offloading of food assistance intended for thousands of vulnerable people.

The incident occurred on 29 September in Chuilbong, Ayod County, during a WFP river convoy operation delivering humanitarian assistance to communities in Ayod.

According to WFP, armed youth “assaulted and threatened two humanitarian staff members at gunpoint” in an attempt to prevent the delivery of food assistance to government-controlled Mogok in Ayod North.

The incident reportedly took place in the presence of local authorities and followed extensive negotiations aimed at securing safe passage for the convoy from Chuilbong to Mogok and onward to Ayod South.

WFP said the situation left the convoy unable to proceed safely.

“Faced with persistent resistance and the inability of local authorities to guarantee safe passage or exercise effective control,” the agency said it instructed the convoy team to offload the food commodities under duress to protect its personnel.

An estimated 162.54 metric tonnes of food assistance were forced off the convoy. The supplies had been intended to support about 4,400 vulnerable people in Mogok for three months.

WFP said the remaining humanitarian team and assets, including personnel from its cooperating partner Action Against Hunger (ACF), were secured and safely returned to Malakal on 2 October without further incident.

The remaining convoy was carrying an estimated 291.48 metric tonnes of food assistance allocated for communities in Ayod South.

WFP called on all parties to the conflict to respect their obligations under international humanitarian law and to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure.

“Aid workers are not, and must never be, a target,” WFP said, stressing that humanitarian personnel must be protected from violence, threats and intimidation so they can continue delivering life-saving assistance to communities in need.

The agency also called for the safe and unimpeded movement of humanitarian personnel and cargo, warning that insecurity and obstruction of aid operations can prevent critical assistance from reaching vulnerable populations.