A record number of aid workers were killed in global conflicts last year, with 280 fatalities reported in 33 countries, according to the United Nations. This figure is more than double the 118 deaths recorded in the previous year. Over half of these deaths occurred in the first month of the Israel-Gaza war, primarily due to airstrikes.
This year, fatalities continue to rise, with 172 aid worker deaths reported as of August 7. The UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warns the year might surpass last year's deadly toll. Most deaths in Gaza included workers from the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, while significant violence in Sudan and South Sudan also played a major role in the high death toll.
Joyce Msuya, acting emergency relief coordinator for the UN, condemned the rising violence, stating that "the normalization of violence against aid workers and the lack of accountability are unacceptable, unconscionable, and enormously harmful for aid operations everywhere." She urged global leaders to take decisive action to end both civilian violations and the impunity surrounding these egregious attacks. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)
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