The deaths bring the total number of aid workers killed worldwide over the past three years to more than 1 010. Addressing the Council on Wednesday, UN Under\u2011Secretary\u2011General for Humanitarian Affairs Tom Fletcher said the toll reflects a catastrophic failure to protect those delivering lifesaving assistance in war zones. \u201cThis is not an accidental escalation. It is the collapse of protection,\u201d Fletcher said, noting that many of those killed were distributing food, water, shelter and medicine, often while travelling in clearly marked humanitarian convoys.<\/p>\n
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According to figures presented to the Council, more than 560 aid workers were killed in Gaza and the West Bank, 130 in Sudan, 60 in South Sudan, 25 in Ukraine and 25 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.<\/p>\n
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Fletcher said humanitarians are not only being killed, but increasingly obstructed, criminalised and delegitimised. \u201cWe are told where not to go and whom not to help. We are harassed or arrested for doing our job. We are lied about, and those lies have consequences,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
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He questioned why aid workers continue to be targeted despite the Security Council\u2019s adoption of Resolution 2730 in 2024, which called on all states to respect and protect humanitarian and associated personnel in line with international law. \u201cIs it because international humanitarian law is no longer convenient, because those killing us feel no cost for their actions, or because we are now seen as legitimate targets?\u201d Fletcher asked.<\/p>\n
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The UN\u2019s top official for safety and security, Gilles Michaud, told the Council that the dangers are escalating sharply. Over the past year, the UN recorded 14 abductions of aid workers, 145 arrests and detentions, and 441 incidents of intimidation and harassment.<\/p>\n
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During the same period, there were also 62 attacks on UN premises and 84 attacks on UN vehicles.<\/p>\n
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Fletcher warned that the violence against humanitarians, combined with a severe collapse in funding for lifesaving work, reflects a broader global trend. \u201cThese are symptoms of a lawless, bellicose, selfish and violent world,\u201d he said, urging Member States to uphold their obligations and restore protection for those risking their lives to save others.<\/p>\n
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