Since the beginning of the year, 281 humanitarian workers have tragically lost their lives while carrying out their duties, a staggering number that surpasses the previous record of 280 victims recorded in 2023. This figure highlights not only a growing security crisis for those operating in conflict zones but also occurs within a context where the status of non-combatants is increasingly called into question. In 2024, it is estimated that 33,000 civilians have been killed, representing a 72% increase compared to 2022.
The peak of these losses has been recorded in the Gaza Strip, where 333 humanitarian workers have been killed since 7 October 2023. This trend is also reflected in other ongoing conflicts: 25 deaths in Sudan, 11 in Ukraine, 11 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, 9 in South Sudan, and 1 in Yemen.
In a year that celebrates the 75th anniversary of the Geneva Conventions, the United Nations Security Council has adopted resolution 2730 (2024), urging states to:
- Protect humanitarian personnel.
- Ensure respect for applicable international humanitarian law and human rights law in times of conflict.
- Act according to the norms established by the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and the Additional Protocols of 1977 and 2005.
- End the indiscriminate use of explosive devices that violate international humanitarian law.
- Condemn the denial of humanitarian aid.
- Facilitate access to humanitarian services for those in need.
To read more, please visit:
- https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/11/1157371
- https://documents.un.org/doc/undoc/gen/n24/145/64/pdf/n2414564.pdf
- https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/11/25/murdering-humanitarians-more-aid-workers-killed-in-2024-than-ever
- https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2024/11/22/record-number-of-aid-workers-killed-worldwide-in-2024-un-says
- https://www.reuters.com/world/record-aid-worker-deaths-2024-era-impunity-un-says-2024-11-22/