United Nations humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher has issued a scathing criticism of the growing wave of violence against aid workers worldwide, calling it a “shameful indictment of international inaction and apathy.” His remarks came on World Humanitarian Day, observed annually on August 19 to honour fallen humanitarian workers and commemorate the 2003 UN Baghdad bombing that killed 22 staff, including UN rights chief Sergio Vieira de Mello.
Rising Global Toll of Humanitarian Deaths
According to UN data cited by Al Jazeera, 383 humanitarian workers were killed in 2024 — a shocking 31 percent rise from the previous year. Nearly half of these fatalities were recorded in Gaza, where 181 aid workers lost their lives, while 60 were killed in Sudan amid intensifying conflict.
The Aid Worker Security Database, which has tracked incidents since 1997, noted that 293 aid workers were killed in 2023. Provisional figures suggest that as of mid-August 2025, at least 265 humanitarian workers have already been killed this year.
“These attacks are not only senseless but illegal under international law,” Fletcher emphasized. “Even one attack against a humanitarian colleague is an attack on all of us and on the people we serve.”
Gaza: The Deadliest Zone for Humanitarians
The UN particularly highlighted the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where international law violations have become alarmingly routine. One of the deadliest attacks occurred on March 23, 2025, in the southern city of Rafah. Israeli forces allegedly opened fire on clearly marked humanitarian convoys before dawn, killing 15 medics and emergency responders. Reports claim that bulldozers later crushed the vehicles and buried both bodies and wreckage in a mass grave, which UN and rescue workers could only reach a week later.
“This level of brutality and lack of accountability is unconscionable,” Fletcher said, urging the global community to demand investigations and justice.
Other Conflict Zones Also Dangerous
While Gaza and Sudan remain the most perilous, other regions also witnessed alarming spikes in violence against aid workers:
- Lebanon: 20 humanitarian workers killed in 2024, compared to zero the previous year, amid the Israel-Hezbollah war.
- Ethiopia and Syria: Each reported 14 deaths, nearly double their 2023 figures.
- Ukraine: 13 aid workers killed in 2024, up from six in the previous year.
Most of those killed, according to the UN, were local staff working on the frontlines — often targeted in their homes or while performing life-saving duties.
WHO: Attacks on Healthcare Escalating
The World Health Organization (WHO) also reported an alarming 800+ verified attacks on healthcare facilities across 16 territories in 2025 alone. These attacks resulted in over 1,110 health workers and patients killed, leaving many communities without essential medical support.
“Each attack deprives entire communities of lifesaving care when they need it most, while weakening already strained health systems,” the WHO said in its statement.
A Call for Accountability
The UN reiterated that such attacks are clear violations of international humanitarian law, which requires the protection of civilians and aid workers. Fletcher called on those with “power and influence” to stop ignoring these atrocities:
“Violence against aid workers is not inevitable. It must end. Attacks on this scale with zero accountability are a shameful indictment of international inaction and apathy.”
Humanitarian groups warn that unless perpetrators are held accountable, the erosion of trust and safety will endanger future relief operations, leaving millions of civilians in war and disaster zones without vital assistance.
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