According to the United Nations (UN), more than half of the 280 humanitarian workers who lost their lives globally in 2023 were killed in the first three months of Israel’s war against Gaza. This significant death toll is attributed to Israeli airstrikes in Gaza between October and December of the previous year, marking a 137% increase compared to 2022, when 118 humanitarian workers were killed.
The UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported on Monday that humanitarian workers have been killed in 33 different countries in 2023, making this the deadliest year for the global humanitarian community. So far this year, 172 humanitarian workers have been killed, indicating that 2023 could potentially see an even higher death toll, OCHA warns.
In connection with World Humanitarian Day, leaders of humanitarian organizations have sent a joint letter to the member states of the UN General Assembly, calling for an end to attacks on civilians, improved protection for humanitarian workers, and accountability for those responsible for such attacks.
The UN also noted that violence in Sudan and South Sudan has contributed to the overall death toll, both in 2023 and 2024. Additionally, several humanitarian workers remain detained in Yemen. Joyce Msuya, the UN’s Acting Humanitarian Coordinator, stated that “the normalization of violence against humanitarian workers and the lack of accountability is unacceptable, unyielding, and extremely harmful to humanitarian operations everywhere.” She urged that “individuals in positions of power must act to halt violations against civilians and the impunity with which these heinous attacks are carried out.”
The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) reported that 207 of its staff members have been killed in Gaza since the conflict began in October of last year. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stated: “We demand an end to impunity so that perpetrators face justice.” Philippe Lazzarini, the head of UNRWA, added on social media platform X: “In Gaza, there have been far too many of them since the war began 10 months ago. At least 289 humanitarian workers, including 207 UNRWA staff and 885 health workers, have lost their lives.”