Over 380 humanitarians perished in 2024, marking a new high as assaults escalated
The United Nations has expressed its deep concern over the escalating violence against humanitarian workers, following a deadly incident in Rafah, southern Gaza, on March 23, 2024.
Tom Fletcher, the UN's Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, condemned the attack that resulted in the death of 15 medics and responders. The incident, which involved Israeli forces reportedly firing on clearly marked emergency vehicles, has been identified as one of the deadliest incidents against humanitarian workers in 2024.
The UN figures show a 31% increase in fatalities compared to 2023, with nearly half of the deaths - 181 - recorded in Gaza. The organization has reiterated that such actions violate international humanitarian law.
In just the first eight months of 2024, 265 aid workers were directly attacked while carrying out their duties. Alongside the fatalities, 308 workers were injured during the same period, and 125 workers were kidnapped, and 45 were detained.
The UN has called for urgent global measures to protect aid workers and ensure accountability for perpetrators following the incident in Rafah. Fletcher emphasized that "Even one attack against a humanitarian colleague is an attack on all aid workers - and on the people they serve."
The UN has announced that at least 383 humanitarian workers have been killed worldwide since the start of 2024. Most of those killed were local staff. The organization responsible for the publication of the report on the increase in deaths of aid workers worldwide since 2024 is not identified in the provided search results.
World Humanitarian Day, commemorated annually on August 19, serves as a reminder of the 2003 bombing of the UN headquarters in Baghdad, which killed 22 humanitarian staff, including UN human rights chief Sergio Vieira de Mello. This day is a call to action for the global community to support aid workers and ensure their safety.
The UN continues to emphasize the importance of protecting humanitarian workers, who are essential in delivering life-saving assistance to those in need. The organization has urged all parties to respect international humanitarian law and to ensure the safety and security of aid workers.
Read also:
- United States tariffs pose a threat to India, necessitating the recruitment of adept negotiators or strategists, similar to those who had influenced Trump's decisions.
- Weekly happenings in the German Federal Parliament (Bundestag)
- Southwest region's most popular posts, accompanied by an inquiry:
- Discussion between Putin and Trump in Alaska could potentially overshadow Ukraine's concerns
