As we mark World Humanitarian Day 2026, we recognize the commitment, courage and dedication of humanitarian workers across South Sudan and around the world who continue to support children, families and communities affected by crisis.
This World Humanitarian Day, we see you. We see the national staff who are often the first to arrive and the last to leave, working in the very communities you call home, facing the same dangers as the people you serve.
We see the courage it takes to keep showing up, to deliver food, water, healthcare, and protection, even as access grows harder and the risks grow higher.
This year alone, 36 of our colleagues have been killed doing this work. Each one was someone's neighbour, friend, or family member. Each loss is felt far beyond the individual, it disrupts care for entire communities who have nowhere else to turn.
You are not separate from the people you serve. You are part of them. And that is exactly why your safety matters so much. You deserve more than gratitude. You deserve real protection, more security measures that work, support systems that hold you up, and accountability when harm is done to you.
Your courage has carried the humanitarian response in South Sudan through some of its hardest moments. It is time that courage was matched with action to protect you.
To the 10 million people across South Sudan who depend on your work, you are their lifeline. And to you, we say: your safety is not negotiable. Your work is not the cost of doing good. You should never have to pay with your life for showing up.
We stand with you. We honour you. And we will keep calling for your protection.
Christopher Nyamandi, Save the Children South Sudan Country Director
#WorldHumanitarianDay #NotATarget #SouthSudan
