A group of major donor nations on Friday strongly condemned the attack and looting of a United Nations food convoy in South Sudan, warning that the stolen aid was meant for tens of thousands of vulnerable people.
In a joint statement, the embassies of Canada, France, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, the United Kingdom and the United States, together with the European Union delegation, denounced the assault on 12 World Food Programme (WFP) boats in Upper Nile State.
The convoy was transporting more than 1,500 metric tonnes of food—enough to feed about 73,000 people—when it was attacked and looted.
“Attacks on humanitarian and medical facilities are entirely unacceptable,” the statement said.
The diplomatic group urged South Sudan’s transitional government to act swiftly to recover the stolen food and other resources taken from the aid workers aboard the boats. It stressed that taxpayer funding from their countries for humanitarian operations in South Sudan “should achieve the greatest possible life-saving impact.”
The statement also called on South Sudan’s leaders, across all parties and levels of government, to “create conditions that ensure the unhindered delivery of assistance to their people,” who are facing famine, malnutrition and displacement caused by ongoing conflict.
Background
The United Nations World Food Programme said on Wednesday it had suspended all activities in Upper Nile State’s Baliet County until the safety and security of its staff, partners and contractors are assured and the government takes immediate measures to recover the stolen commodities.
In a press release shared with Radio Tamazuj, the agency strongly condemned the attacks on its river convoy in Upper Nile State over the weekend.
“Between 30 January and 1 February, a 12-boat WFP convoy transporting over 1,500 metric tonnes of vital food assistance was attacked multiple times by armed youth,” the statement said. “The cargo, which also included non-food items being transported on behalf of partners, was then looted by the community in various locations within Baliet County.”
WFP said attacks on humanitarian workers are never acceptable and urged all parties to the conflict to respect the critical role of aid workers and to safeguard facilities and resources essential for delivering humanitarian assistance.
South Sudan’s warring parties, the SSPDF and the SPLA-IO, have been engaged in fighting across the country since December 2025, particularly in the Upper Nile region.
The implementation of the 2018 peace agreement has weakened amid a collapse of the ceasefire.