December 20, 2024 (ROME/NEW YORK) – Three staff members of the World Food Programme (WFP) were killed in an airstrike on their field office in Sudan’s Blue Nile State, the agency said on Thursday, prompting outrage from the United Nations and calls for an immediate investigation. The WFP compound in Yabus was hit by aerial bombardment on the evening of Dec. 19, killing the head of the field office, a programme associate, and a security guard, according to WFP Executive Director Cindy McCain. One staff member died immediately, while the other two succumbed to their injuries while being transferred for treatment. “I am shocked and heartbroken by the tragic deaths,” McCain said in a statement. “Any loss of life in humanitarian service is unconscionable. Humanitarians are not, and must never be, a target. Yet a record number have lost their lives in 2024.” McCain confirmed that all other WFP staff in Sudan were safe and accounted for and reiterated the agency’s commitment to delivering aid across the country. “WFP remains committed to delivering humanitarian assistance across Sudan, including Blue Nile State… This is what our fallen colleagues would have wanted,” she said. The Yabus area is under the control of …

The post WFP staff killed in Sudan airstrike, UN demands investigation appeared first on Sudan Tribune.