World Food Programme Contract Driver And Assistant Killed Delivering Food In South Sudan

Main Category: Public Health
Article Date: 10 Apr 2008 - 9:00 PDT

email to a friend   printer friendly   view / write opinions   rate article

The United Nations World Food Programme announced that the driver of a WFP-contracted truck and his assistant were killed in Southern Sudan, bringing to five the number of people killed in attacks on WFP humanitarian transporters in Sudan in less than three weeks.

Hamid Dafaalla, 47, a father of four, was shot and killed by unknown assailants while driving his truck in Southern Sudan on Monday, 7 April. His assistant was shot dead while trying to flee. They were on a return trip after delivering humanitarian food supplies to the town of Rumbek.

"We are shocked and saddened by this heartless killing," said Ebenezer Tagoe, WFP Sudan Deputy Director. "Attacks against vehicles delivering humanitarian assistance are completely unacceptable. We have met representatives of the Government of Southern Sudan and they have promised a full investigation."

The attack occurred six kilometres from Mayom town in Unity State, not far from where two WFP-contracted drivers were stabbed to death on 22 March. Another WFP-contracted driver was shot dead two days later and his assistant injured while delivering food to Nyala in South Darfur.

Attacks have slowed food deliveries in Darfur, reducing food stocks at WFP warehouses. The killings in Southern Sudan jeopardize the ability of WFP to provide returnees - particularly those returning to their communities of origin in Northern Bahr el Ghazal - with food and threaten the pre-positioning of food assistance ahead of the rainy season starting in May.

"WFP-contracted trucking companies have continued to provide this vital service at great risk. The continued insecurity on the roads in areas where we operate presents not only a serious threat to the drivers, but also to vulnerable people who depend on this food for their survival," Tagoe said.

Since the start of the year there were 60 hijackings of trucks in Darfur, with 42 trucks missing and 29 drivers unaccounted for. These attacks are in addition to the recent killings in Darfur and Southern Sudan.

WFP is the world's largest humanitarian agency: this year, WFP plans to feed more than 70 million people in around 80 countries.

WFP now provides RSS feeds to help journalists keep up with the latest press releases, videos and photos as they are published on WFP.org. For more details see: http://www.wfp.org/english/?n=999.

WFP now has a dedicated ISDN line in Italy for quality two-way interviews with WFP officials.

http://www.wfp.org