Record 383 Aid Workers Killed Worldwide in 2024, Majority in Gaza Conflict – UN Humanitarian Chief Demands Action Against Perpetrators
Global Humanitarian Crisis: Record 383 Aid Workers Killed in 2024
In a sobering annual report released on World Humanitarian Day, the United Nations (UN) revealed that a staggering 383 aid workers were killed worldwide in 2024, marking a significant increase from the 293 deaths recorded in 2023. This alarming statistic underscores the urgent need for international protection of civilians and humanitarian personnel operating in conflict zones.
The UN’s Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Tom Fletcher, lamented this rise, stating that such escalating attacks on aid workers highlight the collective failure of the global community to uphold its responsibility towards those providing aid in crisis situations. He urged powerful nations to act decisively in protecting civilians and humanitarian personnel, and to hold perpetrators accountable for their actions.
The Aid Worker Security Database, which has been compiling reports since 1997, revealed that the majority of these fatalities occurred in Gaza during the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, with over 180 lives lost. The report also noted that the bulk of aid workers killed were national staff serving their communities who were either attacked while on duty or in their homes.
The data shows no signs of a decline in these attacks for the current year. In fact, there were 599 major incidents affecting aid workers in 2024, a sharp increase from the 420 reported in 2023. These attacks resulted in 308 injuries and the kidnapping and detention of 125 and 45 aid workers respectively.
The most egregious attack this year occurred in Rafah, a city in southern Gaza, where Israeli troops opened fire on March 23, killing 15 medics and emergency responders in clearly marked vehicles. The troops then bulldozed over the bodies along with their mangled vehicles, burying them in a mass grave. Access to the site was only granted a week later by the UN and rescue workers.
Fletcher expressed his outrage at such attacks, stating, “Attacks against humanitarian personnel are an attack on all of us and on the people we serve. Violence against aid workers is not inevitable; it must end.”
According to the Aid Worker Security Database, there was a significant increase in violence against aid workers in 21 countries in 2024 compared to the previous year. Government forces and their affiliates were identified as the most common perpetrators of such attacks.
The countries with the highest number of major attacks in 2024 included the Palestinian territories (194), Sudan (64), South Sudan (47), Nigeria (31), and Congo (27). In terms of fatalities, Sudan, where civil war is still raging, ranked second to Gaza and the West Bank with 60 aid workers losing their lives in 2024. This figure represents more than double the number of deaths recorded in 2023.
Other countries experiencing a significant increase in violence against aid workers included Lebanon (20), Ethiopia (14), Syria (14), and Ukraine (13), compared to the numbers reported in 2023.