The United Nations has described 2024 as the deadliest year on record for humanitarian workers, with 383 killed worldwide — a staggering 31% increase from 2023.
Marking World Humanitarian Day, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the attacks as a “non-negotiable violation of international law.”
Conflict-ravaged Gaza accounted for nearly half of the deaths, with 181 aid workers killed, while Sudan saw 60 fatalities, mostly at the hands of state actors.
Many victims were local staff targeted either in the field or at home. In addition, 308 aid workers were injured, 125 kidnapped, and 45 detained.
UN aid chief Tom Fletcher called the global inaction “a shameful indictment of international apathy.”
The WHO also revealed that 1,121 health workers and patients were killed in attacks across 16 territories, with Sudan the hardest hit.
Despite repeated calls for accountability, UN officials lamented that very few perpetrators are prosecuted.
Provisional 2025 data already shows 265 aid worker deaths, underscoring a worsening trend.
The International Red Cross stressed that every life lost sends a dangerous message: “They were not expendable.”
