Zero Accountability? UN Slams Global Failure After 383 Aid Workers Killed Last Year

United Nations humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher has strongly condemned the sharp rise in killings of aid workers, calling it a “shameful indictment of international inaction and apathy.”

Speaking on World Humanitarian Day, Fletcher said 383 aid workers were killed worldwide last year, a 31 percent increase from the year before. Nearly half of those deaths, 181, took place in Gaza, while 60 were recorded in Sudan. “Even one attack against a humanitarian colleague is an attack on all of us and on the people we serve,” he said. “Attacks on this scale, with zero accountability, are a stain on the conscience of the world.”

UN Humanitarian Aid Workers Targeted: Gaza, Sudan Worst Hit

The UN noted that most of those killed were local staff, often attacked either while doing their jobs or in their homes. Fletcher urged governments and those in power to protect civilians and aid workers and to hold perpetrators accountable.

The Aid Worker Security Database, which has tracked such incidents since 1997, confirmed that the toll rose from 293 in 2023. So far this year, provisional figures already show 265 aid worker deaths by mid-August.

One of the deadliest incidents occurred on March 23 in Rafah, southern Gaza. Israeli troops opened fire before dawn on clearly marked medical vehicles, killing 15 medics and responders. Bulldozers then crushed the vehicles and buried the bodies in a mass grave. Rescue teams reached the site only a week later.

UN Speaks Against Zero Accountability and Rising Risks

The UN stressed that such attacks violate international humanitarian law and destroy critical lifelines for people trapped in war zones and disaster areas. “Violence against aid workers is not inevitable. It must end,” Fletcher insisted.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization said that over 800 attacks occurred on healthcare units across 16 regions this year. More than 1,100 health workers and patients died in these attacks while many were wounded.

The UN stated that due to a lack of accountability and robust security system, the rise in violence will create risky situations for workers involved in the deliverance of humanitarian aid to millions in need.

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