The UN humanitarian agency on Wednesday condemned the killing of an aid worker in Cueibet County of South Sudan’s Lakes State.

On 28 June, a clearly marked ambulance that was transporting an injured person to a hospital following intercommunal violence was shot in Cueibet County. The driver, a national staff member of an international NGO that is providing health services in Cueibet, was killed.

Alain Noudehou, humanitarian coordinator in South Sudan called for prompt action by authorities and communities to ensure the safety and security of humanitarian personnel in the country.

 “These violent acts against humanitarian workers are outrageous and unacceptable, especially during a time when health workers are taking significant risks to assist South Sudanese people who are affected by COVID-19, preventable diseases and injuries related to armed violence. Aid workers need a safe and secure environment to provide people with the assistance they need,” Noudehou said.

He added that “the fighting must stop, and perpetrators must be brought to justice.”

The incident is the fifth aid worker death in South Sudan in 2020 and brings the number of humanitarians killed since 2013 to 120.