Record 383 Aid Workers Killed in 2024, Gaza Bears Heavy Toll

A staggering 383 aid workers were killed in conflict zones worldwide in 2024, with nearly half of these deaths occurring in Gaza amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported on World Humanitarian Day. This marks the deadliest year on record for humanitarian workers, highlighting a grim escalation in violence against those delivering aid.

The Aid Worker Security Database, tracking incidents since 1997, noted a sharp rise from 293 killings in 2023 to 383 in 2024, with over 180 in Gaza alone. Most victims were national staff, attacked either on duty or at home, underscoring the vulnerability of local humanitarians. The data also recorded 599 major attacks on aid workers in 2024, up from 420 the previous year, with 308 wounded, 125 kidnapped, and 45 detained.

A particularly horrific incident occurred on March 23 in Rafah, Gaza, where Israeli forces allegedly opened fire on clearly marked vehicles, killing 15 medics and emergency responders. The troops reportedly bulldozed the bodies and vehicles, burying them in a mass grave, which was only accessed by UN and rescue teams a week later.

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UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher called the surge in attacks a “shameful indictment of international inaction,” urging global leaders to protect civilians and aid workers and ensure accountability. “Violence against aid workers is not inevitable. It must end,” he emphasized.

Beyond Gaza, Sudan saw 60 aid worker deaths in 2024, more than double the 25 in 2023, driven by its ongoing civil war. Lebanon reported 20 killings, up from none the previous year, amid last year’s conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. Ethiopia and Syria each recorded 14 deaths, while Ukraine saw 13, both nearly doubling from 2023. The Palestinian territories led with 194 major attacks, followed by Sudan (64), South Sudan (47), Nigeria (31), and Congo (27). Government forces and affiliates were identified as the primary perpetrators in 21 countries.

The UNRWA, the primary aid provider in Gaza, lost at least 333 staff since October 2023, the highest UN staff toll in history. Posts on X have highlighted the unprecedented nature of these losses, with one noting that Israel’s actions in Gaza have killed more UN staff in 22 months than any conflict since the UN’s founding.

OCHA’s data signals no reversal in this deadly trend, with 245 attacks and 265 deaths in the first seven months of 2025 alone. The international community faces mounting pressure to enforce protections under international law, as outlined in UN Security Council Resolution 2730, adopted in May 2024 to address the crisis.

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