The United Nations revealed shocking figures regarding the killing of humanitarian workers last year, confirming that Sudan was among the most deadly countries, with at least 84 Sudanese aid workers killed since the outbreak of the war in April 2023.
Joyce Msuya, the Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, stated during her briefing to the Security Council that the global death toll for aid workers reached 377 people in 20 countries, while many others were subjected to assault, kidnapping, and arbitrary detention.
Msuya pointed out that local humanitarian workers -who represent 95% of the victims-, don’t receive sufficient media coverage, explaining that the death of a local aid worker receives 500 times less media coverage than the death of an international employee.
She addressed the violations against them in Sudan, saying that aid workers were attacked at checkpoints and prevented from carrying out their work due to false allegations of bias, as well as being targeted in several areas, including the capital, Khartoum.
The UN official urged the Security Council to ensure compliance with international law, condemn the violations against aid workers and UN staff, and call for accountability for those involved, emphasizing that “being shot at is not part of our job.”
For his part, Gilles Michau, the UN Under Secretary General for Safety and Security, stated that impunity has become the “new normal,” stressing that attacks on aid workers are not limited to armed groups but are sometimes perpetrated by governments or their agents.
Michau expressed concern about the impact of budget cuts on relief teams’ work, noting that the reduction of humanitarian aid doubles the risks to workers’ lives and increases insecurity in conflict zones.
