Over 30 aid workers kidnapped in South Sudan this year
They added that several of the hostages were later freed after ransom payments were arranged through local intermediaries.
At least 30 aid workers have been kidnapped in South Sudan so far this year, more than double the number taken in all of 2024.
The figures were confirmed by two senior humanitarian officials, who noted that the surge is jeopardising operations and staff safety across the country. The officials spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity since they were not authorised to comment on security matters.
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They added that several of the hostages were later freed after ransom payments were arranged through local intermediaries.
However, one aid worker, James Unguba, died in captivity earlier this month after being abducted in Tambura, Western Equatoria state, by men wearing national army uniforms.
The exact circumstances of his death remain unclear, with the South Sudanese government not issuing a statement on the incident.
According to research group Humanitarian Outcomes, attacks against aid workers are rising worldwide, with 2024 marking the deadliest year on record as 383 were killed and more than 860 subjected to major violence.
The group warns that 2025 could surpass those levels, with South Sudan emerging as one of the most dangerous locations for humanitarian staff.
The abductions have already interfered with critical aid operations in remote border regions of South Sudan.
In July, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) suspended operations in parts of the country after staff were kidnapped at gunpoint in separate incidents, highlighting a dangerous new trend of abductions for profit.
"While we are deeply committed to providing care to those in need, we cannot keep our staff working in an unsafe environment," Doctor Ferdinand Atte, MSF's head of mission in South Sudan, said in a statement.
South Sudan's security crisis has deepened as clashes between government troops and opposition forces escalate. The violence intensified in March, when Vice President Riek Machar, head of the main opposition group, was put under house arrest following an assault on a military base by a militia linked to him.
Government troops have since launched offensives against Machar's allies and the National Salvation Front, a rebel group that rejected the 2018 peace deal, which ended a five-year civil war that killed nearly 400,000 people.
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