The United Nations in South Sudan will target three million people with food and material assistance in areas affected by conflict and floods or famine over the next year.

On World Humanitarian Day, the UN says that South Sudan  receives one of the largest aid assistance operations in the world; over seventeen thousand UN workers are involved in providing food assistance and protection in the ten states.

Toby Lanzer, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator in South Sudan, says that there are still thousands of people in need of aid –particularly in Pibor County of Jonglei state.

“The situation is still very unstable and there are tens of thousands of people who are in need urgent assistance –and we are doing that,” he said. “We are aiming over to reach three million people throughout the country this year in key areas such as; food assistance, health, emergency-education, water and sanitation, mine action and a whole range of different activities.”

The County Commissioner from Twic East in Jonglei state, Dau Akoi Jurkuc said that the UN must act quickly to get food supplies to the people in the state.  He said armed raiders recently attacked several villages in his area causing the residents to flee into the swamps and other states.

“They need food, they shelter and they need medicine,” he said in reference to those who have fled.  “We have been appealing to the humanitarians that these people need immediate help and also they need protection because of the fear and the panic which is there now at the moment.”

Mr. Lanzer said that aid workers often face tough situations, with high insecurity, working in places where there is no infrastructure.

“There are these couple of hotspots and there are very serious incidents that have taken place were the safety and the security of aid workers has been put in jeopardy, and this causes outmost concern, because if they are not safe, then they cannot carry out their work,” he said.

The government and the public must protect aid workers in South Sudan said Mr. Lanzer.

The UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon says  Humanitarian Day commemorates and honors aid workers for their sacrifice.

He also said the special day reaffirms the  UN’s commitment to the lifesaving work that humanitarians carry out around the world, often in difficult and dangerous circumstances, where others cannot or do not want to go.