WFP halts operations in South Sudan's Baliet county after convoy attack

JUBA, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations World Food Program (WFP) on Wednesday suspended its operations in South Sudan's Baliet County following an attack on its river convoy last week.

The WFP said its 12-boat convoy, transporting more than 1,500 metric tonnes of vital food assistance, was attacked multiple times by armed youth between Jan. 30 and Feb. 1.

It said the cargo, also including non-food items being transported on behalf of partners, was looted overnight by members of the local community at various locations within Baliet.

"Despite receiving security assurances and guarantees from authorities for safe humanitarian movement, the looting occurred overnight without security intervention by the county authorities," the WFP said in a statement issued in Juba, the capital of South Sudan.

It added that the incident has forced it to halt all activities in the county until the safety and security of its staff, partners, and contractors are assured.

The UN food agency also called on the government to take immediate measures to recover the stolen commodities, stressing that attacks on humanitarian workers are never acceptable.

"We strongly urge all parties involved in the conflict to respect the critical role of humanitarian workers and to safeguard the facilities and resources that are indispensable for providing humanitarian assistance," it said.

The WFP said it was deeply concerned about recent incidents in Jonglei State, where vital humanitarian infrastructure has been severely impacted by armed conflict between government forces and opposition groups.

It said essential infrastructure, including warehouses and health facilities, has been destroyed in various incidents in Akobo, Ayod, Nyirol, and Uror counties, where the South Sudan People's Defense Force and the opposition Sudan People's Liberation Army-in-Opposition have been fighting since December 2025.

The WFP stressed that a combination of access constraints and brazen attacks on humanitarian convoys threatens to jeopardize its ability to reach more than 4.2 million of the most vulnerable women, men, and children.

It noted that persistent insecurity in the volatile Jonglei has already forced the agency to pause its plan to preposition 12,000 metric tonnes of food ahead of the rainy season. ■