UNITED NATIONS, Jan 24 (NNN-XINHUA) — UN humanitarians in South Sudan condemned the new attack on an aid compound where a worker was injured and goods stolen, a UN spokesman said.
Interim UN Humanitarian Coordinator Peter Van der Auweraert strongly condemned the Wednesday Jan 18 attack in an international non-governmental organization (NGO) compound in Pibor, in the country’s east, the latest of a series of such incidents, said Stephane Dujarric, the chief spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
“This is the third attack this month, after the killing of two aid workers in the Abyei Administrative Area and another one in Jonglei State,” Dujarric said. The attackers targeted the NGO looking for cash and other assets, and stole valuables.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said that these attacks indirectly impact vulnerable communities as they hamper the delivery of much-needed life-saving humanitarian goods.
“South Sudan is one the most dangerous places for aid workers, with nine humanitarian workers killed in the line of duty and 450 incidents reported in 2022,” the spokesman said. Already three humanitarian workers in South Sudan were killed this year.
Some 9.4 million of the most vulnerable people in South Sudan will need urgent assistance and protection this year, up from 8.9 million last year, Dujarric said. — NNN-XINHUA
