A record number of humanitarian workers died last year in conflicts around the world, while this year could be even more devastating, the United Nations (UN) announced today.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs announced that 2023 humanitarian workers in 280 countries died in 33, which is double the number of 118 people who died the previous year.
The report also states that more than half were killed during the first three months of Israel's war in Gaza, which began in October last year, mostly in airstrikes.
The office announced that this year could have an even more deadly outcome, as 7 humanitarian workers had lost their lives by August 172.
A large number of humanitarian lives were lost in the violence in Sudan and South Sudan both this year and last year.
UN Emergency Coordinator Joyce Msuya said that "the normalization of violence against aid workers and the lack of accountability is unacceptable, unconscionable and extremely damaging to aid operations everywhere in the world."
She called for more decisive steps "by the authorities to end the violations against civilians and the impunity with which these heinous attacks are carried out."
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