Aid Workers Killed

Last year when the data on killings of humanitarian aid workers for the year 2023 was released, there was a widespread feeling of shock as the killings had risen very steeply to an all-time high. However, recently when the data for 2024 was released by the United Nations, there was a further big increase in these killings. What is no less distressing, if the trends for this year (2025) are an indication, next year may record a further increase in this highly unfortunate and disturbing statistic.

What is more, this is a reflection of the wider and highly worrying reality that the overall humanitarian crisis is increasing, it is being increasingly caused by war and conflict and these conflicts, in turn, are becoming more and crueler. It is this tragic reality and cruelty which is resulting in so many aid workers being killed, injured and kidnapped.

According to the recent data released by the United Nations for the year 2024, 383 humanitarian aid workers were killed, while 308 were wounded and 125 were kidnapped.

Thus, there was a big, about 31 percent increase in killings in 2024, compared to the 293 aid workers killed in 2023.

The statistics available for this year (2025) up to August indicate that, unless effective remedial actions are taken, this year the number of aid workers killed may turn out to be even higher. Already about 265 aid workers have been killed this year, and the most violent conflicts like those of Gaza and Sudan are becoming even more worrying.

 In 2024, 181 out of the total number of 383 aid workers killed were killed in Gaza, while 60 were killed in Sudan. 20 were killed In Lebanon. 14 each were killed in Syria and Ethiopia. West Asia and North Africa account for most of the deaths of aid workers. In particular the shockingly high number of killings being concentrated in the tiny territory of Gaza is another shocking reminder of the extent to which humanitarian norms have been violated by the Israeli army.

For millions of Palestinians, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) is more than just a humanitarian organisation–it is a lifeline. For 75 years, it has provided crucial infrastructure support and sustained a population facing heavy repression at the behest of Israel. For the past 22 months the organisation has proved as important as ever in the midst of genocide. UNRWA and its facilities have provided schools, hospitals and more for Palestinians when no other help existed. Sometimes it is the sole entity continuing to keep Palestinians alive and this is precisely the reason, Israel targets them and has killed 310 UNRWA staff members so far in Gaza.

At a time when the humanitarian crisis is worsening in the world to levels seldom, if ever, seen in this century, it is deeply worrying that the life of humanitarian aid workers is getting increasingly endangered. If those who are supposed to provide life-saving help are themselves endangered, who’ll provide this help?

In a situation of increasing attacks on aid-workers, the availability of humanitarian aid providers in some seriously affected crisis zones may decline, seriously and adversely affecting the ability of the humanitarian effort to reach out to those who need this help desperately. Then nobody really knows how many informal and voluntary aid givers who are not recorded by any organisation are getting killed or wounded in increasingly more dangerous situations.

[Contributed by Bharat Dogra]

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Frontier
Vol 58, No. 12, Sep 14 - 20, 2025