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Amidst deteriorating humanitarian situation in South Sudan, violence against civilians and humanitarian workers rises

Pays
Soudan du Sud
Sources
OCHA
Date de publication

Humanitarian Coordinator, and humanitarian actors in South Sudan, condemn the latest killings of humanitarian workers

(Juba, 30 September 2022) This month alone, three humanitarian workers lost their lives in the line of duty in South Sudan. On 25 September, in Kuach Payam of Guit county, Unity State, an aid worker of an international NGO was caught up in crossfire and shot dead in a warehouse. On 19 September, at a Health/Nutrition facility in an IDP site in Bentiu, Unity State, a humanitarian working for a UN agency was killed. On 9 September, in the Greater Pibor Administrative Area, Jonglei State, armed individuals ambushed two staff members deployed by a healthcare NGO and killed one of them. All three victims were South Sudanese citizens.

“My deepest sympathies go to the families and loved ones of our colleagues who lost their life while providing much needed humanitarian assistance”, said Ms. Sara Beysolow Nyanti, Humanitarian Coordinator in South Sudan. “People in South Sudan are living in insecurity, and a fast-deteriorating humanitarian crisis, and those working tirelessly to alleviate the suffering of the most vulnerable continue to lose their lives”, she added.

The continuous violence against civilians and humanitarian workers affects the delivery of life-saving support to people in a protracted dire situation. Access constraints, bureaucratic impediments, widespread criminality, intercommunal violence and revenge killings, hamper the work of humanitarian actors. Since the beginning of 2022, eight humanitarian workers were killed while on duty. As of 31 August, 275 incidents of humanitarian access constraints were reported, of which 141 involved violence against humanitarian personnel and assets. The highest numbers of incidents were reported in Jonglei, Central Equatoria and Unity States.

Adding up on multiple interconnected shocks plaquing the people of South Sudan over the past years, a recent surge in violence in Tonga has displaced thousands across Upper Nile, Jonglei, and Unity States. Humanitarian workers have been working to respond to the urgent needs of the affected communities, and the ongoing insecurity impacts their efforts forcing staff members to relocate and putting deliveries on hold. “As humanitarian actors in South Sudan, both national and international, we call upon armed individuals and respective authorities to safeguard the lives of civilians and humanitarians. We condemn in strongest terms all forms of violence against civilians and humanitarians”, stated Ms. Nyanti.

Note to editors

South Sudan continues to be the most violent context for aid workers in the world. To learn more about humanitarian access in South Sudan, see the humanitarian access snapshots of 2022 here: May: bit.ly/3DobQyc; June: bit.ly/3LkDaQ4; July: bit.ly/3BiRXWy; August: bit.ly/3xVudau, 2021 Humanitarian Access Overview: bit.ly/3OCNJiG

UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs: To learn more about OCHA's activities, please visit https://www.unocha.org/.