Record 383 aid workers killed in 2024 amid global conflicts
The UN described the rising toll as a 'shameful indictment' of global inaction and apathy toward protecting humanitarian personnel. In Gaza alone, 181 aid workers lost their lives, while Sudan saw 60 fatalities.
State actors were identified as the most frequent perpetrators of these attacks in 2024. Most victims were local staff, targeted either on duty or in their homes.
Beyond deaths, 308 aid workers were wounded, 125 kidnapped, and 45 detained last year. Provisional data shows 265 aid workers have already been killed in 2025 as of mid-August.
'Even one attack against a humanitarian colleague is an attack on all of us and on the people we serve,' said UN aid chief Tom Fletcher. He condemned the lack of accountability for such violence.
The UN stressed that attacks on aid operations violate international humanitarian law and disrupt critical support for war and disaster-affected populations. Fletcher called for immediate action to protect civilians and humanitarian workers.
The World Health Organization separately reported over 800 attacks on healthcare facilities across 16 regions this year. These incidents resulted in more than 1,110 deaths among medical staff and patients.
World Humanitarian Day commemorates the 2003 bombing of the UN headquarters in Baghdad, which killed 22 aid workers including rights chief Sergio Vieira de Mello. The UN urged renewed global commitment to safeguarding humanitarian efforts. - AFP
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