The United Nations warned, in a statement, today, Thursday, that the year 2023 will witness new victims among aid workers.
According to a report by the organization, coinciding with the advent of the Humanitarian Action Day scheduled for the nineteenth of August, that since the beginning of this year, 62 people working in the humanitarian field have been killed in crises around the world, and 84 others have been injured and 33 have been kidnapped, according to the temporary data of the team. Research “Aid Worker Security Database” The annual death toll of aid workers last year also reached 116 people.
According to the report, South Sudan ranked highest for several consecutive years, while other injuries and other victims were recorded among aid workers in Central Africa, Mali, Somalia and Ukraine. Last year, 444 relief workers were attacked, compared to the previous year, when 460 were attacked. humanitarian workers were attacked, killing 141 people.”
For his part, Martin Griffiths, Humanitarian Coordinator at the United Nations, said, “Every year, nearly six times more aid workers are killed in the line of duty, pointing out that impunity for these crimes is a scar on all of our consciences, stressing that it is time for us to move on in talking about upholding international humanitarian law, and in addressing impunity for violations.
The UN official added that despite the security and access challenges facing relief work, humanitarian workers from all walks of life are campaigning this year to highlight their continued commitment to providing services to the communities they support, whatever their identity, whatever their location, and their situation in facing humanitarian needs.
According to the United Nations Information Center, the organization is working to provide aid to nearly 250 million people amid crises all over the world, 10 times the number of people compared to 2003.
Source: National Iraqi News Agency