UNITED NATIONS: South Sudan has decided to expel United Nations resident relief coordinator and the deputy envoy to the country Toby Lanzer, a UN spokesman said Monday.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned the move and called on Juba to reverse the decision immediately, the official said.
"Mr. Lanzer has been instrumental in addressing the increasing humanitarian needs of conflict-affected communities in the country and ensuring that life-saving humanitarian assistance reaches the most vulnerable," the spokesman said in a statement.
No reason was given for the expulsion but the spokesman noted that Lanzer was coming to the end of his term and that Ghanain Eugene Owusu had already been appointed to replace him.
Lanzer, a British national who was appointed in 2012, is due to take up a new post as UN regional humanitarian coordinator for the Sahel.
South Sudan is among the UN's worst humanitarian crises, with more than 2.5 million people facing severe food crisis.
The world's newest state was plunged into conflict nearly 18 months ago between forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and rebels allied with his former deputy, Riek Machar.
More than 120,000 people are sheltering in UN bases in South Sudan since the fighting broke out in December 2013.
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