2024 deadliest year for humanitarian workers, OCHA reports 281 deaths globally
OCHA Humanitarian Affairs Officer Sara Al Saqqa talks with a displaced family seeking medical help at the Médecins Sans Frontières Belgium medical point near Al Mawasi camp in Gaza. Photo: WHO/Christopher Black.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has reported that 2024 is now the deadliest year on record for humanitarian workers, with 281 aid personnel killed globally as of mid-November.
This surpasses the previous record of 280 fatalities in 2023, marking a troubling escalation in violence against those providing life-saving assistance in conflict zones. The data comes from the Aid Worker Security Database.
“Humanitarian workers are being killed at an unprecedented rate, their courage and humanity being met with bullets and bombs,” said Tom Fletcher, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator. “This violence is unconscionable and devastating to aid operations. States and parties to conflict must protect humanitarians, uphold international law, prosecute those responsible, and call time on this era of impunity.”
The war in Gaza has significantly contributed to the rising death toll, with more than 320 humanitarian personnel killed since October 7, 2023, many of whom were working for the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
Beyond Gaza, violence against aid workers remains severe in countries like Afghanistan, South Sudan, Sudan, Yemen, Ukraine, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. These incidents include killings, kidnappings, harassment, and detentions.
The increase in violence against aid workers mirrors a broader rise in harm to civilians in conflict zones. Last year, over 33,000 civilian deaths were recorded across 14 armed conflicts, reflecting a sharp increase from 2022.
Most of the affected aid workers are local staff from non-governmental organizations, UN agencies, and the Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement, underscoring the vulnerability of those working on the front lines of humanitarian crises.
