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As the world marks World Humanitarian Day on August 19, the United Nations and its partners are sounding the alarm over the increasing violence against aid workers. The past year has been the deadliest on record, with 280 aid workers killed across 33 countries\u2014a staggering 137% increase from 2022, when 118 were killed, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
UN Secretary-General Ant\u00f3nio Guterres condemned the rising violence and the culture of impunity that allows perpetrators to evade justice. He urged governments to exert pressure on all parties involved in conflicts to protect civilians and humanitarian workers alike. “We must all do more to protect and safeguard our common humanity,” Guterres emphasized.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The death toll for aid workers in 2024 is on track to surpass last year’s grim figures. As of August 7, 172 humanitarian workers had already lost their lives, with many deaths occurring during the first three months of hostilities in Gaza. Airstrikes in Gaza alone have claimed the lives of more than 280 aid workers since October 2023, most of whom were staff members of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA). Additionally, violence in Sudan and South Sudan has significantly contributed to the rising death toll.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Joyce Msuya, UN Acting Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, called the normalization of violence against aid workers “unacceptable and unconscionable.” She stressed the need for greater accountability, stating, “We reiterate our demand that people in power act to end violations against civilians and the impunity with which these heinous attacks are committed.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n