South Sudan has for forty years been a crucible of experimentation in the field of humanitarianism in situations of conflict. Humanitarian operations have been critical in saving lives, providing essential medical care, documenting the plight of South Sudan’s people, and connecting South Sudanese with the international community. South Sudanese and foreign humanitarians have shown courage, commitment and professionalism, and have achieved much of which they can be proud. At the same time, the pitfalls of extended humanitarian assistance in such situations have been hotly debated, not least because large-scale humanitarian operations have become an integral part of the politics, economy and society of South Sudan.Over the course of generations, humanitarian activities, in their most practical sense of providing life-sustaining material aid, have become deeply embroiled in complicated ways with the political economy of organised violence. Aid operations have also become woven into the daily lives, language sand cultures of South Sudanese people. Both scholars and humanitarian practitioners need to continue to explore and respond to these complex dynamics.