By By Godfrey Olukya 20-8-2013
The United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) said its targeting 3 million people in South Sudan in need of assistance by the end of the year.
The statement was made yesterday, in commemoration of World Humanitarian Day, which the agency said provides an opportunity for people to re-commit to the values that underpin humanitarianism.
The UN Humanitarian Coordinator in South Sudan, Toby Lanzer, said agencies are providing food assistance, protecting refugees, and dealing with the humanitarian consequences of violence in Jonglei.
He said South Sudan has one of the largest aid operations in the world with nearly 17,000 staff engaged across the country in a wide range of activities.
“Here in South Sudan we have got one of the largest aid operations, thanks to tremendous support we have had from the donors, we are able to reach tens of thousands of people across each of the ten states,” he said.
Lanzer said aid workers must be allowed to carry out their work for the benefit of communities unhindered and in safety.
The chairman of the South Sudan Rehabilitation Commission, Peter Lam Both, has acknowledged the contribution of humanitarian workers in the country.
He said some humanitarian workers are working in risky places to provide services to South Sudanese.