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STORY: UN / AID WORKERS 2024 DEADLIEST YEAR
TRT: 01:34
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 22 NOVEMBER 2024, NEW YORK CITY / FILE
FILE – NEW YORK CITY
1. Wide shot, United Nations headquarters
22 NOVEMBER 2024, NEW YORK CITY
2. Wide shot, Dujarric at the podium
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, United Nations:
“Today, our colleagues at the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) tell us that 2024 has now become the deadliest year on record for aid workers, with 281 humanitarian workers killed this year. That surpasses the previous record of 280 aid workers who lost their lives just last year.The Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Tom Fletcher, said humanitarian workers are being killed at an unprecedented rate, with their courage and humanity being met with bullets and with bombs. He urges States and parties to conflict to protect humanitarian workers, to uphold international law, to prosecute those responsible and call time on this era of impunity. The war in Gaza is driving up the numbers of aid worker deaths, with more than 320 humanitarian personnel killed in the Gaza Strip since 7 October 2023.
Many were killed in the line of duty while providing humanitarian assistance, and as you know, most of the fatalities have been UNRWA workers. There are also high levels of violence, of kidnappings, injuries, harassment and arbitrary detention of aid workers reported in Afghanistan, in Sudan and Ukraine, among other countries. There is lots more in a press release from our colleagues at OCHA.”
4. Wide shot, end of press briefing
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) announced that 2024 has become the deadliest year on record for humanitarian workers, with 281 aid personnel killed globally. This figure surpasses the previous record of 280 deaths in 2023.
The Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Tom Fletcher said, “Humanitarian workers are being killed at an unprecedented rate, with their courage and humanity being met with bullets and with bombs,” UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told reporters today (Nov 22) in New York City.
Dujarric said, that much of the surge is attributed to the ongoing conflict in Gaza, where more than 320 humanitarian workers have lost their lives since October 7, 2023. He noted that many were killed while delivering aid to civilians caught in the war.
Tom Fletcher has called on states and armed groups to uphold international law, protect aid workers, and hold perpetrators accountable. He said, “We must call time on this era of impunity.”
The violence against humanitarian workers extends beyond Gaza, with high levels of attacks, kidnappings, injuries, and arbitrary detentions reported in Afghanistan, Sudan, and Ukraine among other countries.
OCHA's press release contains more details about the crisis.
