The United Nations on Monday condemned an “unacceptable” surge in deadly attacks on humanitarian aid workers, with a record 280 deaths recorded globally in 2023, largely due to the conflict in Gaza.
“The normalisation of violence against aid workers, coupled with a lack of accountability, is unacceptable and poses an extreme danger to humanitarian operations worldwide,” emphasised Joyce Msuya, the interim head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), on the International Day of Humanitarian Aid Workers.
“With a staggering 280 aid workers losing their lives in 43 countries last year, 2023 marked the deadliest year on record for the international humanitarian community,” OCHA underscored in a statement, citing figures from the Aid Worker Security Database, which has meticulously documented data since 1997.
According to the database, over half of the deaths in 2023 (163) occurred within the Gaza Strip during the initial three months of the war between Israel and Hamas, primarily due to Israeli air strikes.
South Sudan, where clashes persist despite the official conclusion of the civil war, particularly between different tribal groups, and Sudan, currently in the grip of a power struggle between two rival generals, are the other two conflicts that proved exceptionally deadly for aid workers, claiming 34 and 25 lives, respectively.
The list of countries with the heaviest tolls also includes Israel and Syria, both with 7 deaths, Ethiopia and Ukraine with 6 deaths each, Somalia at 5, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Myanmar, each with 4 deaths.
While the 280 deaths in 2023 are already deemed a “scandalous” figure, the UN warns with concern that “2024 is likely on course to be even deadlier.”
According to the Aid Worker Security Database, a concerning 176 aid workers have lost their lives between January 1 and August 9 2024, with 121 of those in the Palestinian territories – surpassing the totals for previous years. The previous record was set in 2013, with 159 deaths.
Staff members of the UNRWA have borne the brunt of these attacks.
Against this troubling backdrop, humanitarian leaders and organisations are uniting to send a powerful joint letter to UN member states.
Their demands are clear: “an end to attacks on civilians,” guarantees for “the protection of all aid workers,” and “accountability for those responsible” for these deaths.
OCHA is also calling on the public to join this crucial campaign via social media, using the dedicated hashtag #ActforHumanity.
Each year, the UN commemorates World Humanitarian Day on August 19, marking the anniversary of the devastating bombing of the UN headquarters in Baghdad back in 2003.
That attack claimed the lives of 22 people, including Sergio Vieira de Mello, the UN Special Representative in Iraq, and injured some 150 aid workers, a tragic reminder of the risks faced by those dedicated to helping others.
In contrast to the record-breaking number of aid worker deaths, the Aid Worker Security Database has noted a decrease in abductions for 2023, documenting 91 cases.
This figure represents the lowest number of abductions in the last five years, a welcome decline from the tragic peak of 185 abductions recorded in 2022.
(information from amna.gr)
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