from RAJI BASHIR in Khartoum, Sudan
Sudan Bureau
KHARTOUM, (CAJ News) -THE murder of aid workers and burning of their trucks is a reminder of the horrors humanitarians face in South Sudan.
Violence has been synonymous with the world’s newest country since the outbreak of civil war in 2013, two years after independence.
On Saturday, two trucks contracted by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) were attacked while returning to Juba after delivering crucial aid supplies for children and their families in need in Yei, Central Equatoria State. Two contracted drivers were killed and another injured.
Both empty trucks were burnt and destroyed.
Due to the attack, UNICEF has paused movement of supplies to the area.
The agency has appealed to the government to step up security on the roads and bring those responsible to justice.
“Incidents like this threaten the safe delivery of aid across the country by all humanitarian actors,” said a spokesperson.
South Sudan continues to be among the deadliest places for aid workers, with a total of 24 killed since the beginning of 2023.
Some 125 peacekeepers have been killed since deployment in 2011.
– CAJ News