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Khaleej Times
5 hours ago
- Health
- Khaleej Times
'Shameful indictment' of international apathy: Record 383 aid workers killed in 2024
A record 383 aid workers were killed in 2024, the United Nations said Tuesday, branding the figures and lack of accountability a "shameful indictment" of international apathy — and warned this year's toll was equally disturbing. The 2024 figure was up 31 per cent on the year before, the UN said on World Humanitarian Day, "driven by the relentless conflicts in Gaza, where 181 humanitarian workers were killed, and in Sudan, where 60 lost their lives". It said state actors were the most common perpetrators of the killings in 2024. The UN said most of those killed were local staff, and were either attacked in the line of duty or in their homes. Besides those killed, 308 aid workers were wounded, 125 kidnapped and 45 detained last year. "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. "Attacks on this scale, with zero accountability, are a shameful indictment of international inaction and apathy. "As the humanitarian community, we demand -- again -- that those with power and influence act for humanity, protect civilians and aid workers and hold perpetrators to account." Provisional figures from the Aid Worker Security Database show that 265 aid workers have been killed this year, as of August 14. The UN reiterated that attacks on aid workers and operations violate international humanitarian law and damage the lifelines sustaining millions of people trapped in war and disaster zones. "Violence against aid workers is not inevitable. It must end," said Fletcher, the UN emergency relief coordinator and under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs. Meanwhile the UN's World Health Organization said it had verified more than 800 attacks on health care in 16 territories so far this year, with more than 1,110 health workers and patients killed and hundreds injured. "Each attack inflicts lasting harm, deprives entire communities of life-saving care when they need it the most, endangers health care providers, and weakens already strained health systems," the WHO said. World Humanitarian Day marks the day in 2003 when UN rights chief Sergio Vieira de Mello and 21 other humanitarians were killed in the bombing of the UN headquarters in Baghdad.
Al Arabiya
8 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
UN says record 383 aid workers killed in 2024
A record 383 aid workers were killed in 2024, the United Nations said Tuesday, calling the figures and lack of accountability a 'shameful indictment' of international apathy. The organization warned that this year's toll is proving equally alarming. The UN said the 2024 figure marked a 31 percent rise from the year before, driven largely by the wars in Gaza, where 181 humanitarian workers were killed, and in Sudan, where 60 lost their lives. State actors were identified as the most common perpetrators of the attacks. Most of those killed were local staff, targeted either on duty or in their homes. In addition, 308 aid workers were wounded, 125 kidnapped, and 45 detained last year. '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. 'Attacks on this scale, with zero accountability, are a shameful indictment of international inaction and apathy. As the humanitarian community, we demand—again—that those with power and influence act for humanity, protect civilians and aid workers, and hold perpetrators to account.' Provisional data from the Aid Worker Security Database show that 265 aid workers have been killed so far this year, as of August 14. The UN stressed that attacks on aid workers violate international humanitarian law and undermine the lifelines sustaining millions in war and disaster zones. 'Violence against aid workers is not inevitable. It must end,' said Fletcher, the UN emergency relief coordinator and under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs. Separately, the World Health Organization said it had verified more than 800 attacks on health care across 16 territories this year, leaving over 1,110 health workers and patients dead and hundreds more injured. World Humanitarian Day, marked annually on August 19, commemorates the 2003 bombing of UN headquarters in Baghdad that killed UN rights chief Sergio Vieira de Mello and 21 colleagues.
Malay Mail
10 hours ago
- Malay Mail
‘Shameful indictment': UN says 383 aid workers killed in 2024, most in Gaza and Sudan
GENEVA, Aug 19 — A record 383 aid workers were killed in 2024, the United Nations said today, describing the toll and lack of accountability as a 'shameful indictment' of global apathy. It warned that provisional figures for this year are equally alarming. The UN said the 2024 toll represented a 31 per cent increase from the year before, driven mainly by relentless conflicts in Gaza — where 181 humanitarian workers were killed — and Sudan, where 60 died. State actors were identified as the most common perpetrators. Most of those killed were local staff, attacked either while on duty or in their homes. In addition, 308 aid workers were wounded, 125 kidnapped and 45 detained last year, according to UN data. 'Even one attack against a humanitarian colleague is an attack on all of us and on the people we serve,' UN aid chief Tom Fletcher said, urging global powers to protect civilians and aid workers and hold perpetrators accountable. The UN's Aid Worker Security Database reported that 265 aid workers have already been killed this year as of August 14. The World Health Organization also said it had verified more than 800 attacks on health care across 16 territories in 2025, leaving more than 1,110 health workers and patients dead. World Humanitarian Day, observed on August 19, commemorates the 2003 bombing of the UN headquarters in Baghdad, which killed 22 people including UN rights chief Sergio Vieira de Mello. — AFP
