Humanitarian aid workers targets of attack

More and more, during the course of helping suffering populations, humanitarian aid workers have become targets of attack by extremist groups.

2013 saw the highest number of aid workers killed compared to all other years, as reported by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

Of 460 incidences of violence reported against aid workers in 2013, 155 have been fatal. This was said to have triple the number over the last 10 years. The leading offenders are reportedly found in Afghanistan, Syrian Arab Republic, South Sudan, Pakistan and The Sudan.

Without sufficient numbers of workers on the ground, service delivery to displaced people is hampered. And with more needy situations, not to speak of these attacks on humanitarian aid workers, there is need for an increase in the number of aid workers who have the courage and commitment to respond to increasingly various complex situations around the world.

This entry was posted in Humanitarian Aid, International Cooperation by Grant Montgomery.