A prosthetic leg and a new lease of life

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In war-torn South Sudan, Makur Diet knows all too well the horror of conflict. Over ten years ago, he lost his leg to a bullet.

PublishedMay 21, 2020
AuthorNjål Frilseth
Communication Advisor
Nobel Peace Center

Despairing for his future, Makur was close to giving up, until one day he was given a prosthetic leg, and with it a new lease of life. Makur now devotes his life to helping others who have been injured in the war to walk again.

Makur works at an International Committee of the Red Cross centre in South Sudan. The ICRC have received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1917, 1944 and 1963.

ICRC

The International Committee of the Red Cross was awarded the 1963 Nobel Peace Prize for promoting the principles of the Geneva Convention and cooperation with the UN. The first Geneva Convention, from 1864, gave protection to sick and wounded soldiers in land-based warfare. In 1906 the Convention was expanded to include naval warfare. In response to the events of WWI, the revised Geneva Convention of 1929 also included the protection of prisoners of war. After the close of WWII, the Geneva Convention of 1949 was adopted, encompassing protection of civilians held by the enemy in wartime.

"Losing a leg made me view myself as the least valuable person in the world."
- Makur Diet
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The year 1963 marked the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Red Cross by Henry Dunant (Switzerland), Nobel Peace Prize laureate of 1901. The Norwegian Nobel Committee used this occasion to acknowledge the importance of the Red Cross for the international community.

It also wished to reward the organization’s post-war contributions. On this occasion, the Swiss International Committee of the Red Cross shared the honour with the League of Red Cross Societies. Together these two organizations comprise the International Red Cross movement.

You can watch Still Human, a film about Makur Diet and his incredible story, by clicking on the link below.

The Nobel Prize, National Geographic Documentary Films and Academy Award-winning filmmaker Orlando von Einsiedel have collaborated on a 5-part short documentary series, celebrating the ongoing impact and influence of Nobel Peace Prize laureates around the world.

All media inquiries about this collaboration/films, or the Nobel Foundation, Nobel Media and Nobel Prize Museum, please contact: