By Gladys Kole
South Sudan has been ranked as the deadliest country for humanitarian workers as it tops the fatalities’ list in this year with eleven deaths of aid workers in the country so far.
There have been 73 major attacks on aid workers in 2022 globally with 44 deaths this year (numbers accurate as of 1 august). The majority of deaths, 95%, involved national staff.
The two international staff were killed in South Sudan and Mali.
According to analysis done by Care International on data from the humanitarian outcomes of aid worker security database 44 aid workers have lost their lives globally since the beginning of this year, 11 from South Sudan, 8 in Afghanistan and 7 in Myanmar and 3 from Ukraine.
Care International stated that South Sudan continues to be one of the deadliest places to be as an aid worker, citing that it is also among countries with great need of humanitarian assistance with nearly 7.74 million people facing hunger across the country.
In his words, Abel Whande, the country director of Care International South Sudan said: “the very people committed to easing the most vulnerable continue to be killed, is horrifying”
“Failing to ensure the safety of humanitarians means disruptions to vital aid operations and with 7.74 million people in South Sudan facing acute hunger, these disruptions could mean the difference between life and death for some,” he said.
This year’s world humanitarians day is being celebrated under the theme “it takes a whole village to support a person in humanitarian crisis” was inspired by the saying “it takes a whole village to raise a child.”
Aid agencies, local volunteers and emergency services come together to provide urgent health care, shelter, food protection, water, livelihoods and much more.
South Sudan is facing worst hunger crisis since it gained independence 11 years ago. The Ukraine crises are exacerbating the food crisis with sharp increases on the cost of living in the country.
This numbers in the database for 2022 are provisional for the first six months of the year, with full official annual figures to be released at the end of calendar year.
Care International is one of the leading humanitarian Organizations fighting global poverty and social injustices in the world’s most vulnerable places. Founded in 1945 with more than 7 decades of experience.