World Humanitarian Day commemorates the tragic record casualties of aid workers in war zones

As the world marks World Humanitarian Day 2024, the latest figures on the horrific conditions facing aid workers on the front lines underscore the alarming increase in attacks on them and their work to alleviate the suffering of civilians caught in the crossfire.

The aid research group Humanitarian Outcomes released its 2024 Aid Worker Security Report on August 15, stating: “2023 was the deadliest year ever for aid workers, with more than double the annual average.” Humanitarian Outcomes is supported by USAID’s Office of Humanitarian Assistance.

According to the report, compiled by the Aid Worker Security Database (AWSD), 595 aid workers were victims of serious attacks in 2023, including 280 killed in 33 countries.

More than half of these deaths (163) were aid workers killed in the first three months of the Gaza conflict, mainly as a result of air strikes, the organization said. Citing data from the Humanitarian Access SCORE report, the UN said the number of aid workers killed in Gaza was “an unprecedented number for a single context in such a short period of time.”

One of the most notable examples of the dangers facing aid workers in Gaza was the death of seven aid workers from World Central Kitchen, a humanitarian organization that delivers food to war-torn countries, in an Israeli rocket attack in the Gaza Strip on April 1.

The World Central Kitchen (WCK), founded by celebrity Catholic chef José Andrés, said on April 2 that workers were leaving the warehouse in Deir al-Balah after delivering 100 tons of food for aid organizations in “two armored vehicles bearing the WCK logo” when the attack occurred.

The organization noted that despite coordinating the delivery with the Israeli military, the convoy appeared to have been hit by a “targeted attack by the IDF” (Israel Defense Forces). The attack forced WCK to suspend its operations in the region.

The Aid Worker security report states that the majority of deaths in Gaza were caused by “collateral violence from air strikes and rocket/artillery fire” (mostly people seeking shelter in their homes or public places). This reflects the generally very high number of civilian deaths that occur in a large military operation in a dense urban environment.”

According to the report, more than 30,000 civilians have died in Gaza. Although exact percentages are not known, it says that “a very large number” of aid workers were killed “while working on relief operations, in attacks on ambulances, aid convoys, medical facilities and shelters, and distribution points.”

“Even if only 25 percent died 'on the job,' that is still far more than in most conflict countries covered by the AWSD,” the report says. “Casualty numbers in Gaza continued to rise through 2024, and by early August, another 120 aid workers had been killed.”

In an editorial published on the Caritas Internationalis website, Jean-Yves Terlinden, director of Caritas Europa's International Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid Department, blamed the rising death toll in Gaza on the “ongoing complicity of the EU (European Union) and the United States in violations of international humanitarian law, double standards and the increasing politicization of humanitarian aid.”

Among the dead, Terlinden said, were two Caritas workers: Viola, a 26-year-old laboratory technician who was killed along with her husband and young daughter when Israeli forces attacked the St. Porphyrios Orthodox Church in Gaza in October, where civilians had sought shelter; and Issam Abedrabbo, 35, a pharmacist who was killed with his two sons, leaving a daughter orphaned.

Terlinden wrote that the deaths were “far from accidental” as the Israeli military knew the coordinates to ensure their protection. He also noted that the EU remains Israel's largest trading partner despite “a human rights clause in its association agreement”.

“After such a shocking loss of life, we urge the EU and its Member States to address the double standards that put humanitarian workers at increased risk,” Terlinden wrote.

Humanitarian Outcomes also stated in its report that the ongoing conflict in Sudan had resulted in the deaths of 24 aid workers and that the spread of violence to neighboring South Sudan had resulted in the deaths of 34 aid workers.

“Other countries where high numbers of aid workers were affected by serious attacks in 2023 included Mali, Ukraine, Somalia, Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Syria and Myanmar,” it said.

World Humanitarian Day was established by the United Nations in 2008 to recognize the work of humanitarian workers and those who have lost their lives in the line of duty. The date of the day commemorates the attack on the UN headquarters in Baghdad, Iraq in 2003, in which 22 humanitarian workers were killed.

In a statement posted on the World Day website, the UN reiterated the Aid Worker Security Report, noting that “2023 was the deadliest year on record for humanitarian workers” and that “2024 could be even worse.”

“These facts reveal a glaring truth: the world is failing humanitarian workers and the people they help,” the statement said. “And while civilians, including aid workers, are paying the highest price, the perpetrators continue to evade justice.”

Among the numerous Catholic aid organizations active in war and crisis areas are the Salesian Missions, which provide humanitarian aid in over 130 countries.

“Because Salesian missionaries live in the communities where they work, they are often on the front lines of humanitarian disasters,” said Father Michael Conway, director of the Salesian Missions, in a statement released by the organization on August 19 on the occasion of World Humanitarian Day.

In their statement, the Salesian Missions highlighted their work in supporting people who have lost their homes due to war and poverty, including in Nigeria, Congo, Haiti and Namibia. They provide meals and educational courses and coordinate donations.

“Whether it is providing clothing and shelter in the immediate aftermath of disasters or supporting the long recovery process to help families rebuild their homes and secure their livelihoods, the Salesians are well placed to help,” said Father Conway.