The United Nations reported Friday that 2024 has become the deadliest year on record for aid workers, with 281 humanitarians killed globally. The majority of these deaths are attributed to violence in the Middle East, particularly in Gaza, where the ongoing conflict has claimed the lives of 230 aid workers.
Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), confirmed that the number of fatalities has already surpassed the previous record of 280 deaths, despite the year not yet being over. Humanitarian workers have been killed in conflict zones such as Gaza, Sudan, Lebanon, Ukraine, and others, with the violence and risks they face escalating significantly.
The U.N. highlighted that 268 of the fatalities were local aid workers, while 13 were international staff. The threat to aid workers extends beyond Gaza, with incidents of violence, kidnappings, injuries, and harassment also reported in countries like Afghanistan, Congo, South Sudan, and Yemen.
Laerke condemned the violence, stating, “Humanitarians are working courageously in some of the most dangerous places on earth, yet they are being killed in record numbers.” The U.N. noted that 333 humanitarians have lost their lives since the outbreak of the conflict between Israel and Hamas in October 2023.
