The United Nations’ World Food Programme (WFP) has pulled the plug on its operations in South Sudan’s Baliet County, reeling from a violent ambush on a crucial river convoy. This development threatens to deepen the humanitarian crisis in a region already battered by relentless conflict.
Announced Wednesday from Juba, the suspension follows a harrowing ordeal where a 12-boat flotilla carrying more than 1,500 metric tons of food aid—plus partner non-food supplies—faced multiple attacks by armed young men from January 30 to February 1. Nighttime looters from local communities stripped the vessels in Baliet’s remote areas, even as officials had promised protection.
No security response materialized from county authorities, leaving WFP staff stunned and operations in limbo. The agency vows not to resume until ironclad safety measures protect its teams, contractors, and partners.
In a pointed rebuke, WFP demanded immediate government action to retrieve pilfered goods and condemned assaults on aid workers. ‘Humanitarian personnel must be shielded at all costs,’ it stated, calling on warring factions to honor their obligations under international law.
Jonglei State’s turmoil amplifies the stakes. Since late 2024, fierce battles between government troops and rebels have razed warehouses, clinics, and vital hubs across Akobo, Ayod, Nyirrol, and Uror counties. This destruction has slashed WFP’s reach to 4.2 million desperate souls facing hunger.
Roadblocks to access and convoy hits imperil the agency’s core mission, while insecurity scuttled pre-rainy season stockpiling of 12,000 metric tons in Jonglei. Aid groups now scramble for alternatives, but with rains poised to isolate communities further, time is running critically short. Global leaders must intervene to restore safe corridors and prevent a catastrophe.