The United Nations (UN) on Monday condemned the “unacceptable” level of violence that has become normalized against humanitarian workers globally. The statement revealed that 280 aid workers were killed last year in 33 countries, representing a record high for the global humanitarian community.
“The normalization of violence against aid workers and the lack of accountability are unacceptable, unconscionable and enormously harmful for aid operations everywhere,” noted Joyce Msuya, Acting Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator of the UN.
According to the Aid Worker Security Database, the 2023 figure represents a 137 percent increase compared to 2022, when 118 aid workers were killed. Notably, more than half of the 2023 deaths occurred in the first three months of the Israel-Hamas War, primarily as a result of airstrikes. The UN warned that the ongoing hostilities in Gaza could result in even higher numbers of aid worker and civilian fatalities this year, with provisional figures reaching 172 as of 7 August.
In addition, South Sudan and Sudan are significant contributors to the death toll due to ongoing civil strife and conflict between rival generals, with 34 and 25 deaths respectively. The UN reiterated its call to end violations against civilians and to hold perpetrators accountable.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres also criticized nations for disregarding International Humanitarian Law (IHL)—a legal framework designed to protect civilians and humanitarian workers during conflicts. “[H]umanitarian workers are being attacked, killed, injured, and abducted alongside the civilians they support,” said Guterres. The IHL primarily operates on respect for the dignity of individuals and humane treatment, as well as proportionality in the conduct of armed conflict.
The UN marks World Humanitarian Day on 19 August each year to commemorate the death of 23 individuals in a 2003 bombing of UN offices in Baghdad. This day honors the commitment of humanitarian workers in high-risk situations and commemorates those who have sacrificed their lives. This year, leaders of various humanitarian organizations and UN agencies have sent a letter to UN member states calling for an end to the “era of impunity.”