JUBA – The United States has called for those responsible for attacks on humanitarian workers in South Sudan to be held accountable after armed youth threatened two World Food Programme (WFP) workers and forced the offloading of food aid in Jonglei State.
In a statement on Monday, the US Embassy in Juba condemned the September 29 attack in Chuilbong, Ayod County, where a river convoy was delivering food to Mogok.
“The United States strongly condemns the September 29 armed assault on World Food Program humanitarian workers in Jonglei State and the forced offloading of food meant to feed nearly 20,000 people in need,” the embassy said.
WFP said it ordered the offloading of 162.54 metric tonnes of food under duress after efforts to secure safe passage failed and local authorities could not guarantee the team’s safety. The food was intended to feed 19,590 people in Mogok for one month.
The remaining convoy, carrying another 291.48 metric tonnes of food destined for Ayod South, returned safely to Malakal on October 2, WFP said.
“We call on South Sudan’s leaders and all parties to guarantee safe and unimpeded humanitarian access, prevent further attacks, and hold everyone responsible for such appalling attacks to account,” the embassy said.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that 36 humanitarian staff and contractors were killed between January and August 19, 2026, compared with 31 throughout 2025. More than 450 incidents of violence against humanitarian workers and assets were recorded between January and July 2026, more than double the number reported during the same period in 2025.
In March 2022, three people were killed when gunmen ambushed a commercial convoy carrying WFP food assistance between Gadiang and Yuai in Jonglei. WFP said at the time that it was the third convoy ambush in the state in four months.
The US Embassy also described South Sudan’s humanitarian crisis as man-made and urged the country’s leaders to use public revenue to provide basic services.
“The humanitarian crisis in South Sudan is manmade. We urge the country’s leaders to use public revenue to provide basic services for their people,” the statement said.