On the occasion of the World Humanitarian Day, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that 2023 marked the deadliest year on record for humanitarian workers globally, with 280 aid workers killed in 33 countries, adding that humanitarian workers are being killed in unprecedented numbers on the frontlines.
In a statement issued on the occasion, the office said this high number represents a 137 percent increase compared to 2022, when 118 aid workers were killed.
It warned that 2024 might be on track to record an even higher death toll, as by August 7 of this year, 172 aid workers had already been killed, according to provisional figures from the Aid Worker Security Database.
OCHA added that more than half of the deaths in 2023 occurred in the first three months in Gaza between October and December, with most of them being the result of airstrikes.
It explained that since October, more than 280 aid workers have been killed, the majority of whom were from the United
Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in Gaza alone.
OCHA reported that the immense levels of violence in Sudan and South Sudan have contributed to the tragic rise in fatalities, both in 2023 and 2024, adding that in all these conflicts, most of the victims were national staff members.
On World Humanitarian Day, aid workers and their supporters around the world organize events to show solidarity and highlight the horrific losses from armed conflicts, with a focus on humanitarian workers.
Source: Qatar News Agency