The new UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher said on Friday that 2024 was the deadliest year on record for humanitarian workers. The year is not yet over and the world has already recorded the highest number of humanitarian worker deaths in the world.
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), which Fletcher heads, reports that this is one more death than in 2023. That year, too, saw a record number of casualties compared to previous years, with 280 humanitarian workers in 33 countries killed.
The high number of deaths among humanitarian workers is primarily due to the war in the Gaza Strip, the Office said. Fletcher said:
“Humanitarian workers are being killed on an unprecedented scale, their courage and humanity met with bullets and bombs. This violence is unimaginable and devastating to aid operations. States and parties to conflicts must protect aid workers, respect international law, prosecute those responsible and end this era of impunity.”
Many aid workers have died in the line of duty while providing humanitarian assistance. Most of them were employees of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
Humanitarian workers face threats in Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, Ukraine and Yemen, among other countries.
Most of those killed are local people working for non-governmental organisations, UN agencies and the International Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement.
Attacks on humanitarian workers are part of a broader trend of violence against civilians in conflict zones, OCHA said. Last year, more than 33,000 civilian deaths were recorded in 14 armed conflicts. This figure represents a 72 per cent increase from 2022.
Despite the dangers, humanitarian organisations continue to assist populations, providing support to nearly 144 million people last year. As of November in 2024, more than 116 million people around the world have received humanitarian assistance.
On May 24, 2024, in response to increasing violence against humanitarian workers, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 2730. The document authorises the Secretary-General to recommend measures to prevent such incidents and protect humanitarian personnel and assets. The UN chief’s recommendations will be presented at a meeting of the Security Council on November 26.
