2024 Marks Deadliest Year for Aid Workers, With 281 Killed Amid Global Crises

Geneva, 22 November 2024 – The United Nations has reported that 281 aid workers have been killed globally in 2024, making it the deadliest year for humanitarians to date. This alarming toll was reached with over a month still remaining in the year, surpassing the 280 deaths recorded throughout all of 2023.

UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Tom Fletcher, condemned the violence against aid workers, emphasizing that their “courage and humanity” are met with “bullets and bombs.” He called for urgent action to protect humanitarians and ensure accountability for perpetrators of violence.

The war in Gaza, particularly since the onset of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in October 2023, has significantly contributed to the death toll, with 333 aid workers—most from the UN agency supporting Palestinian refugees, UNRWA—killed in the region. Additionally, countries like Afghanistan, Sudan, Ukraine, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo have seen aid workers face kidnappings, harassment, and arbitrary detention.

While the majority of those killed are local staff working for non-governmental organizations and the UN, the overall increase in violence against aid personnel reflects a broader trend of rising harm to civilians in conflict zones. The UN also reported a staggering 72% increase in civilian deaths from 2022 to 2023.

In response to the growing risks, the UN Security Council adopted a resolution in May 2024, calling for stronger protection for humanitarian workers and measures to combat the escalating violence. Recommendations on how to prevent such attacks and ensure accountability will be presented to the Security Council in the coming week.

As the international community grapples with these unprecedented threats, Fletcher stressed that “States and parties to conflict must protect humanitarians, uphold international law, prosecute those responsible, and bring an end to this era of impunity.”