Gulu — THE UN World Food Programme has temporarily suspended aid to half a million people in Uganda's drought-prone Karamoja region after gunmen killed one of its drivers in an ambush, WFP said yesterday.

Richard Achuka, 41, was shot dead in the neck and shoulder on Tuesday when gunmen attacked a convoy of four WFP trucks in Kotido District as they returned from delivering food to schools and other sites in neighbouring Kaabong District.

Achuka was driving the lead truck in the convoy, which was escorted by the UPDF soldiers. The attackers fled as the escorting soldiers and three other trucks arrived at the ambush site.

"WFP condemns this vicious attack on a clearly marked WFP humanitarian convoy in the strongest terms and demands that the killers be pursued and brought to justice," WFP Country Director Tesema Negash said.

"WFP has no choice but to temporarily suspend our activities in Karamoja until security is improved."