Dec 20, 2021 — A senior humanitarian official, Matthew Hollingworth, the Representative and Country Director of World Food Programme in South Sudan, strongly condemns the recent attack on humanitarian aid workers in Jonglei State in which one member was killed after delivering food to vulnerable communities.
Responding to an ambush on World Food Programme employees on December 19, Mr. Hollingworth called the attack on the WFP convoy a deliberately targeted incident and demands that authorities must “make every effort to bring the perpetrators to justice” to ensure that “humanitarian personnel and assets across the country” are protected and safe.
According to earlier reports by UN-OCHA, the incident happened on December 19 when armed gunmen ambushed the convoy of five amphibious vehicles between Tindiir and Duk Padiet in Jonglei State, spraying them with bullets leading to killing of one aid worker.
To humanitarian director and others, an attack at a time like this when everyone is preparing for Christmas and humanitarian workers, who sacrificing to help vulnerable communities instead of being with their immediate families are being subjected to more horrifying experiences is totally unacceptable
“An incident of this nature against humanitarians and humanitarian assets is unacceptable unacceptable…These vehicles were clearly marked. I must accept that this was a targeted attack and a violation of international humanitarian law. This behaviour must stop”, added Mr. Hollingworth.
“In a week when many families prepare for celebrations and festivities, teams of aid workers across this country do everything in their power to support vulnerable people in need”, said the acting senior humanitarian official, Matthew Hollingworth
The team was returning from Tindiir, where they had delivered critical live-saving food assistance for people adversely hit by flooding in the region, when it was ambushed.
According to the UN OCHA report, the vehicles are clearly marked as humanitarian vehicles and therefore the attack must have been intentionally staged.
“These specialized vehicles were clearly marked as humanitarian vehicles and are the only means that enable deliveries to flooded zones”, OCHA stressed.
Mr. Hollingsworth believes that given how everyone from this region has suffered from floods for the last two years and deserve help, it’s heartbreaking to see such attacks coming from the same region.
“it is entirely irrational that perpetrators that come from this region, whose families would have benefited from their deliveries in the recent past, attacked these brave aid workers delivering humanitarian assistance to vulnerable communities.” Mr. Hollingsworth added.
“These senseless acts of violence compromise our ability to continue assisting people in remote and difficult to reach flooded areas”.He continued.
According to UN report, Duk County has faced significant impacts from flood in both 2020 and 2021 where at least 130, 000 are estimated to be in need of humanitarian assistance including
The attack brings the total number of humanitarian aid workers killed this year to 5 people and Mr. Hollingworth, such perpetrators must be brought to book.
“Every humanitarian aid worker in this country has the right to carry out their work in a safe and secure environment. Perpetrators of such heinous acts, must be brought to justice”, said Mr. Hollingworth.
Areas like Duk Padiet are prone to attacked mostly from neighboring communities and predominately from Murle youth who raid cattle and abduct children.
At the time of this writing, no group has claimed responsibility for the incident.
