New York | UN: 2023 was the deadliest year yet for humanitarian workers

In comparison, there were 118 deaths among relief workers the year before. This year 2024 could be even more deadly. Monday is World Humanitarian Day.

Air strikes on Gaza are primarily responsible for the rising trend

The main reason for this huge increase is said to be the start of the Gaza war between Israel and Hamas. Since the horrific terrorist attack by the Islamist Hamas last October, nearly 300 aid workers have been killed in the Gaza Strip alone, mainly through airstrikes. Most of the victims were employees of the UN Palestinian relief agency UNRWA. The United Nations in the past has repeatedly expressed that they are disappointed about workers who were killed by Israeli shelling or bombing.

According to preliminary estimates from a database relied on by the UN, there are indications that the number of humanitarian workers killed in 2024 could be even higher. 172 aid workers had already fallen victim to the global conflict by the beginning of August. In addition to the war in Gaza, conflict and violence around Sudan and South Sudan in particular contributed to this. The dead are often local aid workers.

An open letter to the United Nations General Assembly

So key representatives from hundreds of humanitarian organizations have written a joint letter to the 193 member states of the UN General Assembly on Earth Day. In the letter, they ask the international community to stop attacks on civilians, protect supporters and hold perpetrators more accountable.

The normalization of violence against aid workers and the lack of accountability is unacceptable, unforgivable and damaging to the global relief effort, said UN emergency coordinator Joyce Msuya. Decisive action is needed with more than just declarations, the letter says – as such attacks also fuel problems such as food insecurity, displacement and the spread of infectious diseases, with far-reaching effects. the conflict zones.