A top United Nations humanitarian official has condemned the recent killing of three aid workers in South Sudan.

Sara Beysolow Nyanti, the UN humanitarian coordinator for South Sudan said an aid worker working for an international organisation was killed in Guit county of Unity State on September 25.

On 19 September, an aid worker at a health facility in an internally displaced persons site in Unity State was also killed while 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.

“My deepest sympathies go to the families and loved ones of our colleagues who lost their life while providing much needed humanitarian assistance”, said Nyanti.

She added, “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”.

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

“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”, stressed Nyanti.

South Sudan continues to be the most violent context for aid workers in the world.