UN peacekeepers at Juba International Airport in 2014 | Photo | UN

A United Nations peacekeeper has been shot and wounded by unknown gunmen in a place close to Gadiang area of Jonglei state, said a UN statement.

The UN World Food Program has condemned an attempted attack.

The peacekeeper is reportedly in a stable condition.

In a joint statement today, UNMISS and WFP said the incident occurred yesterday, when a convoy of 59 trucks carrying WFP food and nutrition assistance was shot at by gunmen.

The agencies said the attack happened some 30 kilometers from Gadiang and 160 kilometers from Bor in Jonglei State.

Under the protection of UNMISS Force, the convoy was en-route to various locations to preposition much needed assistance for 95,000 people ahead of the rainy season when access becomes heavily restricted.

“Continued attacks on humanitarians and the attempted looting of vital relief which millions of vulnerable people depend on to survive are a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law,” the Acting Humanitarian Coordinator and interim for South Sudan Meshack Malo stated in a statement.

UNMISS and WFP said such incidents derail humanitarians’ ability to deliver lifesaving assistance to people in need during the limited window of opportunity available to reach them.

According to UNOCHA, the number of attacks against humanitarian convoys and assets has been on the rise across South Sudan, reaching 591 in 2021.

UNMISS and WFP call on the Government to carry out an investigation and bring the perpetrators to justice.