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South Sudan Aid Chief Appalled by Killing of Aid Worker

Countries
South Sudan
Sources
OCHA
+ 1 more
Publication date

Juba, 4 August 2014: “I am appalled and saddened by the news that a South Sudanese aid worker was killed today in Maban County, Upper Nile State. My thoughts are with our colleague’s family and friends at this difficult time.

Maban is the home of a large-scale aid operation supporting 127,000 refugees and their host communities. South Sudanese and international aid staff work tirelessly to provide life-saving relief to people who have come to South Sudan for protection and assistance. In the past days, violence and harassment of civilians and aid workers – including based on their identity – has increased in the area. Such crimes put the humanitarian operation in Maban at risk, jeopardizing the lives of tens of thousands of men, women and children who count on aid organizations for their survival.

Since the start of the conflict in December 2013, we have seen brutal violence against civilians in many parts of South Sudan. Aid workers have not been exempt. I call on all armed forces and groups to do their utmost to keep relief personnel and civilians safe from harm, and on the relevant authorities to conduct a full investigation into today’s tragic events. I also call on all South Sudanese to respect and safeguard the contributions of their brothers and sisters who work to save lives, day after day. They are the true heroes of this crisis, and they must be able to do their work in safety.”

For more information, contact:

Tapiwa Gomo, Head of Communications, UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in South Sudan (gomo@un.org /+211 922 406 079)
Amanda Weyler, Public Information Officer, UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in South Sudan (weylera@un.org/+211 922 473 115)

Follow the Humanitarian Coordinator in South Sudan on twitter.com/tobylanzer or @tobylanzer for latest updates.
Also visit our website www.unocha.org/south-sudan | Facebook UNOCHA South Sudan | Twitter @OCHASouthSudan

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