South Sudan Humanitarian Coordinator called on all government and opposition authorities to respect and safeguard contributions of humanitarian aid workers.
In a statement on Monday, Toby Lanzer said he was appalled and saddened by the news that a South Sudanese aid worker was killed in Maban County, Upper Nile State.
He called on all armed forces and groups to keep relief personnel and civilians safe from harm, urging relevant authorities to fully investigate the tragic events.
Mr Lanzer said aid workers are the true heroes of this crisis as Maban is the home of a large-scale aid operation supporting 127 thousand refugees and host communities.
He added that local and international aid staff work tirelessly to provide life-saving relief to people who came to South Sudan for protection and assistance.
The Coordinator said violence and harassment of civilians and aid workers in the past days increased in the area, warning that such crimes put the humanitarian operation in Maban at risk and jeopardizes lives of thousands of men, women and children.
He recalled that since the start of the conflict in December 2013, humanitarian agencies witnessed brutal violence against civilians in many parts of South Sudan and that aid workers were not excused.