Map of Upper Nile State. (Courtesy).

The UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has reported increasing incidents against humanitarian workers in Upper Nile State, with one aid worker killed and another kidnapped last month.

In its October Humanitarian Snapshot, OCHA said it has recorded 15 cases of violence against aid workers in Upper Nile – the highest number of incidents constituting almost half of all reported attacks in the country.

Eight of the 15 incidents reportedly occurred in Maban County alone.

According to the report, one unnamed off-duty humanitarian worker was killed, and his colleague kidnapped in a violent incident in the volatile state.

On Wednesday, the unity government kicked off the long-awaited deployment of the Necessary Unified Force to restore security in conflict hotspots across the country.

A battalion of about 750 soldiers were ferried to Upper Nile’s capital Malakal before they head to Tonga, following a deployment ceremony held at the Luri Training Center, west of Juba.

The agency further said there were 32 reported incidents related to humanitarian access constraints throughout the country in October, a slight decrease compared to September 2023, when 34 incidents were reported.

Meanwhile, Central Equatoria recorded the second highest number of access incidents, primarily involving threats, harassment, intimidation, and restrictions on movement.

Four access incidents were reported in Eastern Equatoria, each of which involved violence against humanitarian personnel, including physical assault, robbery, and looting.

South Sudan is said to be the most dangerous countries for aid workers in the world, and the humanitarian crisis deepens amid mounting needs, access constraints, and lack of funding, according to the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

The country has also recorded the highest number of attacks against aid workers leaving 37 of them dead, according to the 2023 Aid Worker Security Report.