2 WHO aid workers killed, vehicle hijacked in Darfur ambush

Marta Ruedas, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan, said on Thursday in Kigali that two men were killed in an ambush by unidentified gunmen on aid workers’ vehicle in Sudan’s West Darfur State.

Ruedas said the attack on the vehicle which was carrying representatives of the State’s Ministry of Health and World Health Organization (WHO) took place on Tuesday in Kerinik locality, near the border with Chad.

Ruedas said the aid workers were returning from a mission to ascertain whether guinea-worm disease is still present in Sudan.

She said the men, a driver and a security official were killed instantly, while the two Ministry of Health staffers and a WHO doctor in the vehicle were unharmed.

Ruedas, who strongly condemned the fatal attack, added that the assailants also stole the car.

“Insecurity continues to hamper the operations of the courageous humanitarian workers in Darfur, where over 2.3 million vulnerable people need some form of humanitarian assistance.

“Yet humanitarian workers are confronted by danger on a daily basis,” she said.

PANA