The U.K. strongly condemned the 3 February airstrike on a hospital run by Médecins Sans Frontières and the attack and looting of a World Food Programme convoy in Baliet County in Upper Nile State, intended to assist more than 73,000 people.
“Attacking hospitals and stealing aid is unacceptable,” UK Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations Security Council, Archie Young, said in an address on Tuesday, urging authorities to guarantee safe and unhindered humanitarian access to all communities, irrespective of political or ethnic considerations.
The Permanent Representative also warned that the security and political situation in South Sudan has sharply deteriorated since March last year, calling for urgent and coordinated international pressure to halt the violence.
“The situation in South Sudan is getting worse and needs coordinated international attention and pressure,” Young told the Council, pointing to escalating military offensives and a surge in attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure.
London expressed alarm over reports of ethnically driven hate speech and the recruitment of child soldiers, warning that such trends mirror the darkest chapters of the country’s civil war. The UK condemned the continued fighting across multiple regions and urged all parties to comply with international humanitarian law.
Particular concern was raised over the safety of United Nations personnel, following the killing of a staff member serving with the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) in Wau in December. Young extended condolences and called for the protection of all UN workers operating in the country.
The humanitarian crisis featured prominently in the UK’s remarks. Jonglei State was highlighted as a major flashpoint, with fighting since December reportedly displacing around 230,000 people.
On the political front, the UK warned that unilateral decisions and the removal of opposition officials risk undermining the fragile power-sharing arrangement under the peace deal. Young cautioned that recent actions by the government of President Salva Kiir could derail progress and further delay stability.
Reiterating that the peace agreement remains the only viable path forward, the UK joined calls by the African Union and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) for renewed dialogue and full recommitment to the peace process. Failure to reverse course, the ambassador warned, could push South Sudan back to the brink of full-scale war.
