UN says a record number of aid workers were killed in 2023 and this year's figures are also high
The United Nations says that a record number of aid workers were killed in conflicts around the world last year, and this year may be on course to be even deadlier
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A record number of aid workers were killed in conflicts around the world last year, and this year may be on course to be even deadlier, the United Nations said Monday.
The U.N.'s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said that 280 aid workers were killed in 33 countries in 2023 — more than double the previous year's figure of 118. It said that more than half of last year's deaths were registered in the first three months of the Israel-Gaza war that started in October, mostly as a result of airstrikes.
The office said that this year “may be on track for an even deadlier outcome,” with 172 aid workers killed as of Aug. 7.
More than 280, the majority of them with the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, have been killed in Gaza so far, according to OCHA. It said that “extreme levels of violence in Sudan and South Sudan ” also have contributed to the death toll both this year and last.
The U.N.'s acting emergency relief coordinator, Joyce Msuya, said in a statement that “the normalization of violence against aid workers and the lack of accountability are unacceptable, unconscionable and enormously harmful for aid operations everywhere.”
She demanded in a statement that "people in power act to end violations against civilians and the impunity with which these heinous attacks are committed.”