This is the deadliest year for an aid worker. Of the 281 aid workers killed, most were in Palestine.
More aid workers were killed in 2024 than in any other year on record, the United Nations has said.
At least 281 aid workers have been killed in 19 countries, surpassing the previous record of 280 aid workers killed in 2023, according to data from the Aid Worker Security Database (AWDS).
Nearly two-thirds (178) of the aid workers killed were in Palestine. Israel has killed 175 aid workers in Gaza and three in the occupied West Bank.
Since October 7, 2023, at least 333 aid workers in Gaza have been killed in Israeli attacks, according to the UN.
Aid workers who save lives do it
Aid workers, also known as aid workers, play a vital role in providing life-saving assistance to communities affected by crises such as conflict, natural disasters or poverty.
They distribute food, provide shelter, offer medical care, ensure access to clean water and sanitation, and provide other essential crisis management services.
Aid workers typically work with non-profit organizations, including United Nations agencies, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), as well as international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and national.
The majority of aid workers are local staff who play a central role in delivering aid, supported by international workers who provide additional expertise and resources.
In Gaza, most aid workers are employed by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
Since October 7, at least 243 of UNRWA’s 13,000 personnel have been killed – or one in 50 staff – the highest personnel death toll in UN history.
Threats against aid workers around the world
Outside of Palestine, at least 103 aid workers have been killed this year, including 25 in Sudan, 11 in Ukraine and 11 in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
“They show the best interest that humanity has to offer. And in return, they are being killed in record numbers,” OCHA spokesperson Jens Laerke told reporters at a press briefing in Geneva on Friday.
“States and parties to conflict must protect humanitarian workers, uphold international law, prosecute those responsible and end this era of impunity,” concluded Tom Fletcher, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian and Humanitarian Affairs. emergency relief coordinator.
