The United Nations announced that at least 383 humanitarian workers have been killed worldwide since the start of 2024, calling it a “shocking record” that underscores the growing dangers faced by aid personnel.
Released Tuesday to mark World Humanitarian Day, the UN figures show a 31% increase in fatalities compared to 2023. Nearly half of the deaths — 181 — were recorded in Gaza, where relentless conflict has severely disrupted humanitarian operations.
The report noted that in just the first eight months of this year, 265 aid workers were directly attacked while carrying out their duties. Most of those killed were local staff, often targeted not only in the field but also in their own homes, according to news reports.
In addition to the fatalities, 308 workers were injured, 125 kidnapped, and 45 detained during the same period.
Tom Fletcher, the UN’s Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, condemned the escalating violence, stressing, “Even one attack against a humanitarian colleague is an attack on all aid workers — and on the people they serve.”
Among the deadliest incidents was a March 23 attack in Rafah, southern Gaza, when Israeli forces reportedly fired on clearly marked emergency vehicles, killing 15 medics and responders. According to UN sources, the vehicles and bodies were later bulldozed and buried in a mass grave.
The UN reiterated that such actions violate international humanitarian law and called for urgent global measures to protect aid workers and ensure accountability for perpetrators.
World Humanitarian Day commemorates the 2003 bombing of the UN headquarters in Baghdad, which killed 22 humanitarian staff, including UN human rights chief Sergio Vieira de Mello.
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