Undoubtedly, the genocide in Gaza has left images that will be etched in the memory of several generations, including the killing of hundreds of humanitarian workers. On April 2nd, the Israeli Occupation Forces deliberately massacred seven aid workers from the American NGO World Central Kitchen, an event that shocked the international community and highlighted the West's double standards in condemning attacks on humanitarian organizations. This figure adds to the more than 200 deaths of UN staff, particularly from UNRWA. However, violence against humanitarian personnel is not exclusive to Palestine but extends around the world.
August 19: World Humanitarian Day
World Humanitarian Day is celebrated every year on August 19, not only as a show of international support for humanitarian workers, who operate in highly complex and volatile contexts, but also to commemorate one of the biggest attacks on the United Nations.
On August 19th, 2003, after the U.S. occupation of Iraq had begun, a bomb attack was carried out against the Canal Hotel in Baghdad, the UN headquarters in the Arab country. The suicide attack killed 22 humanitarian workers, including Sergio Vieira de Mello, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General in Iraq, and injured 150 others. Five years later, the UN General Assembly adopted Resolution 63/139, designating this date as World Humanitarian Day.
Risks of Being a Humanitarian Worker
In war zones, no one is exempt from danger, and humanitarian personnel are no exception. According to the Aid Worker Security Database, the main source for monitoring attacks on humanitarian sector members, incidents (murders, kidnappings, sexual assaults, bombings...) against humanitarian workers have increased significantly over the past two decades. This upward trend can be explained by the increase in humanitarian crises caused by armed conflicts (as opposed to those caused by natural disasters), the professionalization of the humanitarian sector (with the consequent growth in the number of its workers), and the politicization of humanitarian assistance, among other causes. Notably, in 2023, 280 humanitarian workers were killed, making it the deadliest year on record.
Not all contexts in which humanitarian organizations operate are the same in terms of security. In 2023, the top three contexts with the highest number of violent incidents against humanitarian personnel were Palestine, South Sudan, and Sudan, followed by Syria, Israel, and Ukraine. The ranking varies if viewed more historically: Between 1997 and 2024, 604 attacks on humanitarian workers were recorded in Afghanistan, making it the country with the highest number of violent incidents against them in the world. The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Somalia, and the Central African Republic also rank among the top 10 traditionally most dangerous contexts for those committed to humanitarianism.
On the other hand, violence does not affect all actors and workers equally: national NGOs and local staff are in the crosshairs. Since 2016, attacks on national NGOs have multiplied, surpassing those against international NGOs in 2022. In the same vein, the number of local victims, compared to foreign nationals, is completely disproportionate: last year, more than 500 local workers, whether employed by national NGOs or international organizations, were subjected to some form of violent incident, as opposed to only 26 international victims.
The poor implementation of the localization of humanitarian assistance may explain these figures. Following the adoption of the Grand Bargain in 2016, aimed at advancing the localization of humanitarian action, international organizations accelerated the implementation of their projects through local partners, particularly in contexts where adequate security conditions for deploying international personnel could not be guaranteed. In practice, this way of operating has resulted in a transfer of risks from international actors to their local counterparts, without being accompanied by the corresponding funding for security training or the decision-making powers necessary to have the final say on interventions.
Alone in Danger?
Although in recent years we have unfortunately observed an increase in its violation, International Humanitarian Law (IHL) is the main tool for protecting humanitarian workers in armed conflict contexts. IHL is the branch of public international law that seeks to regulate the conduct of belligerents in an armed conflict, limiting its consequences and protecting civilians.
There are several IHL norms and principles that ensure the protection of humanitarian personnel. For instance, the principle of distinction obliges the warring parties to carry out military actions only against combatants, and they must respect and protect civilians, including humanitarian personnel. In this regard, the emblems of the Red Cross, Red Crescent, or the United Nations provide protection by identifying humanitarian personnel as non-combatants to the conflicting parties. Additionally, the 1977 Additional Protocols to the 1949 Geneva Conventions establish that personnel providing humanitarian assistance must be respected and protected.
Likewise, the Rome Statute, the international treaty that established the International Criminal Court, determines that intentional attacks against personnel, facilities, materials, or vehicles involved in a humanitarian mission constitute a war crime (art. 8.2. (b) (iii)).
Despite the growing threats to their safety, more and more men and women are choosing to dedicate their careers to humanitarian action, helping to alleviate the suffering of the 300 million people in need globally today. Promoting respect for IHL, allocating more resources to mitigate security risks, particularly in the case of local NGOs, or improving information systems among actors on the ground are some of the measures that can increase the protection of humanitarian organizations and personnel.
