Humanitarian workers conducted assessment in a flood-affected village in South Sudan. 2020. (Photo: Hope Restoration South Sudan)

At least 11 aid workers have been killed in South Sudan this year, making the country the deadliest place in the world to be a humanitarian worker according to a leading relief agency.

The analysis done by Care International highlights the dangers facing humanitarians, as 44 aid workers have lost their lives across the world since the beginning of 2022.

According to the data from the Humanitarian Outcomes Aid Worker Security Database, 25 percent of the victims are from South Sudan, ranking the country first among world’s deadliest places for aid-workers – including Afghanistan and Myanmar

The report notes that the three nations are not only among the most dangerous places for aid workers, but they are also in dire need of humanitarian assistance.

It says South Sudan is facing its worst hunger crisis since independence, with sharp increase in food and fuel – a situation partly exacerbated by the Ukraine crisis.

“That the very people committed to easing suffering and supporting the most vulnerable continue to be killed, is horrifying,” said Abel Whande, CARE South Sudan Country Director.

“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.”

The report also said the war in Eastern Europe has also left humanitarian appeals for countries experiencing the worst hunger and famine-conditions, including Somalia, Mali, Niger, Afghanistan and South Sudan drastically under-funded.