South Sudan remains one of the most dangerous places for aid workers, with 24 attacks on humanitarian workers recorded so far this year, the UN said on Monday.
"On World Humanitarian Day, we honour the bravery and sacrifice of humanitarian workers who have lost their lives in the line of duty," Anita Kiki Gbeho, the UN humanitarian coordinator for South Sudan, said in a statement.
Gbeho said access constraints across the country hamper efforts to deliver urgent, life-saving assistance to the most vulnerable populations.
"Without a safe space for aid workers, we risk failing the millions who depend on it," emphasized Gbeho.
"With South Sudan on the brink of severe flooding and thousands of returnees arriving from Sudan, the need for safe access to deliver vital aid is critical," added the coordinator.
According to the statement, a perfect storm is gathering in South Sudan due to its humanitarian and economic outlook.
It identified critical issues facing the country, including chronic food insecurity; a spillover of the Sudan conflict into South Sudan, resulting in the movement of over 780,000 refugees and internally displaced people; uncertainty in the face of critical political events necessary for a successful transition; a rapidly deteriorating economy; and projected record levels of flooding set to peak in September.
It added that in 2024, 9 million people-three-quarters of South Sudan's population-are projected to require humanitarian and protection assistance.
"Two million people remain displaced due to decades of conflict, intercommunal violence and extreme effects and events of climate change, such as flooding and dry spells. Approximately, 7.1 million people or 56.3 per cent of the total population are projected to face crisis-level or more severe food insecurity in 2024. Yet, the Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan, which seeks to assist 6 million people with an appeal of US$1.8 billion, remains underfunded at 31.5 per cent," added the statement.
