ICRC, EU: 2025 could see more deterioration in humanitarian workers' safety
On World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day, the President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the President of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) affirmed in a joint statement that 'the international community cannot continue to turn a blind eye to violations of the rules of war, while humanitarian workers are deliberately targeted.'
The statement said: 'Every attack against humanitarian workers is an attack on the communities they serve, and a violation of the laws designed to protect civilians and alleviate suffering during conflict.'
The statement added: 'On this World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day, we remember with profound sorrow our colleagues who lost their lives in horrific circumstances while trying to save lives. Their loss of life demands more than just words of outrage; it demands action."
"The brutal killing of our colleagues from the Palestine Red Crescent Society last March sparked widespread global condemnation. But their story is neither isolated nor exceptional. From Gaza to Sudan, Ukraine, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and beyond, our colleagues are coming under fire while carrying out their humanitarian duties—whether driving ambulances, distributing aid, or trying to reach communities most in need on the front lines."
"We have already lost ten of our colleagues this year. This comes on the heels of the deadliest year on record for humanitarian workers, with the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement alone losing 38 of its staff and volunteers in 2024. If this alarming pattern continues, 2025 could see a further deterioration in the safety of humanitarian workers."
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