World Food Programme deeply concerned about missing staff in South Sudan

The UN food relief agency on Wednesday voiced its deep concern over the disappearance of its three staff members who went missing earlier this month when fighting reportedly erupted along their food distribution route in a volatile region in South Sudan.

"The World Food Programme (WFP) has deep concern over the fate of three staff members who disappeared in South Sudan's Upper Nile State on April 1, en route to a food distribution," UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said at a daily news briefing here. "The disappearance comes amid generally deteriorating security and increasing harassment of humanitarian workers throughout the country."

Ten humanitarian workers have been killed in Upper Nile State since the start of South Sudan's conflict more than 16 months ago. Another WFP staff member was abducted at gunpoint in October 2014 and hasn't been heard from since.

The UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) reported that fighting erupted in Malakal, in Upper Nile State, on Tuesday evening and continued throughout most of the morning and early afternoon.

"The residence of the Upper Nile State governor was reportedly shelled by mortar rounds and two of his security officers were also wounded," the spokesman said.

According to WFP, there are now 2.5 million people in South Sudan unsure of where their next meal is coming from. Food security analysts believe this number will increase with the start of the lean season in May.

WFP aims to assist roughly 3 million people throughout the country in 2015.

At least 1,500 unarmed civilians have arrived at the UN protection site outside Malakal, which brings the total numbers of civilians being protected there to an estimated 28,000 people.