Record high in aid workers killed amid war on Gaza: UN
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Since the war on Gaza began, now in its 11th month, over 280 humanitarian workers have been killed, mostly due to Israeli airstrikes.
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A UN volunteer at the al-Maghazi refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip amid the Israeli genocide on Gaza on November 6 (AFP/Getty Images)
The United Nations has reported a troubling increase in aid workers killed in war zones, primarily due to the ongoing Israeli aggression on Gaza.
On Monday, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) disclosed that in 2023, 280 aid workers were killed—over twice the 118 deaths reported in the previous year.
"With 280 aid workers killed in 33 countries last year, 2023 marked the deadliest year on record for the global humanitarian community," OCHA stressed in a statement on World Humanitarian Day.
The report also indicated that 2024 could potentially be even more deadly, with the Aid Worker Security Database showing that 172 aid workers had been killed by August 7. The increase in fatalities—primarily from Israeli airstrikes in Gaza between October and December of the previous year—marks a 137 rise compared to 2022, which saw 118 aid worker deaths.
Since the war on Gaza began, now in its 11th month, over 280 humanitarian workers have been killed, mostly due to Israeli airstrikes. The majority of these deaths have been among Palestinians working for the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA), according to OCHA.
Philippe Lazzarini, head of UNRWA, stated on X that the ongoing Gaza war has led to a devastating loss over the past 10 months, with at least 289 aid workers killed, including 207 from UNRWA, as well as 885 health professionals.
“Many were killed in the line of duty while providing humanitarian assistance or medical care to the injured & the sick. Alongside them more than 160 journalists & media workers were killed,” Lazzarini said.
He also stressed that “the war in Gaza broke all existing rules of war.”
Reports also suggest that the "high levels of violence in Sudan and South Sudan" have contributed to the increased death toll in both the current year and the previous one.
Guterres: Honoring fallen humanitarians isn't enough in record-deadliest year
Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stressed that simply honoring the humanitarians who died in the deadliest year on record is insufficient.
“In Sudan & many other places, aid workers are attacked, killed, injured & abducted. We demand an end to impunity so that perpetrators face justice,” the UN chief wrote in a post on X on Monday.
2023 was the deadliest year on record for humanitarians.
— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) August 19, 2024
Honouring them on #WorldHumanitarianDay is not enough.
In Gaza, in Sudan & many other places, aid workers are attacked, killed, injured & abducted.
We demand an end to impunity so that perpetrators face justice. pic.twitter.com/xxJkUAGSnW
400 agencies unite in plea to protect civilians, aid staff in Gaza
Over 400 humanitarian organizations have addressed a letter to the UN General Assembly, urging the protection of civilians and aid workers amid "Israel's" ongoing air and artillery assaults on Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip.
In the joint letter, at least 413 humanitarian and aid groups emphasized that civilians and aid workers have become the primary casualties in Gaza and other ongoing wars globally.
“The brutal hostilities we are seeing in multiple conflicts around the world have exposed a terrible truth: We are living in an era of impunity,” they wrote. “This status quo is shameful and cannot continue.”
The letter also noted that fatalities among humanitarian workers doubled in 2023 compared to the previous year, with 2024's toll already being described as "staggering".
It is worth noting that the UN agency for Palestinian refugees has lately reported that the death toll among its staff since the beginning of the Israeli regime's ongoing assault on Gaza is the highest in the organization's history.
Since October 7, at least 207 UNRWA employees have been killed. Additionally, "Israel" has repeatedly targeted Gaza’s schools, hospitals, universities, and other civilian infrastructure.
Read more: War on Gaza among bloodiest in 21st century: Haaretz
