United Nations suspends food aid in parts of South Sudan after attacks

[News_Editor]

United Nations suspends food aid in parts of South Sudan after attacks

2011-04-29 05:47:54 GMT+7 (ICT)

UNITED NATIONS (BNO NEWS) -- The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) on Thursday announced that it suspended food aid operations in two areas of South Sudan after direct attacks.

In consequence, more than 240,000 Southern Sudanese may not receive critical food rations next month due to the rising violence in the region. Sudan is the largest operation of WFP.

"Next month's food rations for more than 135,000 people in Jonglei and 105,000 in Lakes, including thousands of children, are now in jeopardy," said Amor Almagro, a WFP spokesperson.

The UN agency suspended operations in seven of the 11 counties of Jonglei state after a WFP staff member was attacked. Last Friday, Santino Pigga Alex Wani was ambushed and killed in a road.

In addition, food distribution was halted in all of Lake state after a truck contracted to deliver 16 tons of aid for WFP's school feeding program was commandeered by members of the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) on 19 April.

Almagro called on the government of the soon-to-be-independent Southern Sudan to assure that WFP staff and assets will be protected as they carry out their work in the two troubled areas.

WFP is working with other UN humanitarian agencies and security officials to assess the situation in Jonglei and Lakes states and determine when it might be safe to resume operations.

Furthermore, Almagro called on the local authorities to carry out a thorough investigation on the last week's killing of the WFP staff member and prosecute the perpetrators. "Humanitarian workers must be allowed to carry out their duties," she added.

On Wednesday, the UN Security Council extended the mandate of the peacekeeping mission in Sudan until the south formally becomes independent in July 9 as decided in last January's referendum.

The UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) was set up after the signing of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) which ended the long north-south civil war in Sudan. Earlier this year, millions of Southern Sudan residents voted in favor of separating from the rest of the African nation.

In recent weeks, disputes between the north and south have caused violence and tensions ahead of the planned independence, mainly over border demarcation and the status of the conflicted Abyei area.

Hundreds of people have been reportedly killed in clashes in various states of the south, often involving Southern Sudanese forces and renegade militia groups. Last Sunday, at least 57 people were killed in fighting between the SPLA and a rebel militia.

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