The UN Mission in Sudan said Tuesday that six staff members of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) were temporarily abducted in the western Sudanese region of Darfur.

The UN body said in a statement that the six UNHCR staff members in two vehicles clearly marked with the UN refugee agency's logo were attacked by unknown gunmen on Monday morning while being on their way for a routine visit to a refugee camp in the West Darfur State.

The attackers drove away with the UNHCR staff members and dropped them off somewhere without hurting anyone of them, said the statement, adding the UNHCR staff members were picked up several hours later by a truck of local citizens.

In the statement, Manuel Aranda da Silva, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan, strongly condemned the temporary abduction of the UN staff members.

Expressing grave concern over the repeated attacks on humanitarian personnel and assets in Darfur, the UN official said these attacks had put at risk the ongoing humanitarian efforts to assist millions of people in the region.

He urged all the parties concerned to act swiftly to end such acts and bring the perpetrators to justice.

Source: Xinhua