By The Uganda People’s Defence Air Force (UPDAF) has stepped up humanitarian operations in northern South Sudan, airdropping hundreds of metric tonnes of emergency food supplies to regions ravaged by conflict and famine.
The aerial relief efforts come amid a deepening humanitarian crisis in the northern parts of South Sudan’s Upper Nile State, where thousands of internally displaced persons are battling severe food shortages following months of violent clashes.
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The aid drops, carried out over the past week, are targeting the counties of Ulang and Nasir. These areas have been hard hit by renewed fighting between the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) and the Sudan People’s Liberation Army-In Opposition (SPLA-IO), a rebel militia composed mainly of fighters from the Nuer ethnic group.
The SPLA-IO, widely referred to as the White Army, has been accused of launching brutal attacks and carrying out massacres against rival Dinka communities and other ethnic minorities, worsening the humanitarian situation.
The food aid, provided by a coalition of international humanitarian agencies, is being transported from Juba International Airport aboard UPDAF aircraft. The Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) deployed troops to South Sudan in March 2025 at the request of Juba authorities, in a mission aimed at strengthening rear security operations and supporting the SSPDF in efforts to stabilize the country.
According to officials, the UPDF’s presence has been instrumental in securing the capital and surrounding regions, paving the way for renewed diplomatic activity, business operations, and cross-border trade.
The crisis in the Upper Nile region escalated earlier this year following political and ethnic tensions linked to the incarceration of South Sudan’s First Vice President, Dr. Riek Machar Teny Dhurgon, a key figure in the SPLA-IO.
As humanitarian actors call for increased support to avert a full-scale famine, the UPDAF’s ongoing airlift operation offers a lifeline to thousands of vulnerable families who remain trapped by violence and cut off from conventional aid routes.
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Efforts are underway to maintain and scale up the deliveries, even as security remains fragile in outlying areas beyond Juba.
The UPDF’s involvement underscores Uganda’s continued regional role in peacekeeping and humanitarian support, especially in neighboring South Sudan where cycles of conflict continue to displace civilians and cripple basic services.
