Record Violence Against Humanitarian Workers: UN Security Council Briefing

Unprecedented Fatalities Among Aid Workers

• 💔 2024 has become the worst year on record for humanitarian worker fatalities, with 377 aid workers killed across 20 countries, a significant increase from previous years.
• 🚨 In Gaza, over 408 aid workers have been killed since October 7, 2023, with a recent incident in Rafah where 15 workers were recovered from a mass grave.
• 🌍 The majority of those killed, approximately 95%, are local aid workers, who are crucial to relief efforts and often face less media attention.

Legal Frameworks vs. Political Will

• ⚖️ Robust international legal frameworks exist to protect humanitarian and UN workers, including human rights law and international humanitarian law.
• ⚠️ The primary obstacle identified is a lack of political will to ensure compliance with these existing laws and standards.

Criminalization and Disinformation

• 🚫 Humanitarian workers increasingly face criminalization, being detained and accused of supporting terrorism simply for delivering aid.
• 📢 Disinformation and misinformation campaigns are targeting aid organizations, undermining credibility, fueling unrest, and hindering operations, as seen in Haiti, Yemen, and Sudan.

Calls to Action for the Security Council

• 📢 The UN calls for the Security Council to speak out loudly and consistently against harm to humanitarian personnel, condemning violence and defending organizations under attack.
• ⚖️ There is a demand for accountability, urging member states to strengthen legal frameworks for investigation and prosecution, and for the Security Council to push for justice, potentially through international mechanisms like the ICC.
• 🤝 The importance of a survivor-centered approach is reiterated, ensuring those affected by violence have a voice and access to essential services like legal aid and mental health support.
• 🛠️ Tangible steps suggested for the council include security council visits, fact-finding missions, and withholding arms transfers to protect humanitarian workers.