The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has called for swift actions against those who reportedly killed an aid worker in Lakes State over the weekend.
The incident happened in Cuei-bet County on Sunday 28th May.
UN OCHA says assailant shot at a national staff member of an international NGO that is providing health services in South Sudan.
It said a “clearly marked ambulance was transporting an injured person to a hospital following inter-communal violence” when the driver got killed.
A statement, Wednesday, from the Humanitarian Coordinator in South Sudan condemned the killing of the aid worker and called for prompt action by authorities and communities to ensure the safety and security of humanitarian personnel in the country.
Alain Noudéhou described the acts of violence against humanitarian workers as “outrageous and unacceptable.”
“…especially during a time when health workers are taking significant risks to assist South Sudanese people who are affected by Covid-19, preventable diseases and injuries related to armed violence,” Mr. Noudéhou said.
He emphasized that aid workers need a safe and secure environment to provide people with the assistance they need.
The humanitarian coordinator also demands that those responsible for the killing of the driver in Cuei-bet be punished.
“The perpetrators must be brought to justice, and the fighting must stop, ” he stressed.
UN OCHA noted that the driver is the fifth aid worker killed in South Sudan in 2020.
This brings the total number of humanitarians killed in the country since 2013 to 120.