New York: Last year more than 460 aid workers were victims of attacks, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said ahead of this year’s World Humanitarian Day.
World Humanitarian Day is celebrated annually every August 19.
According to data from Humanitarian Outcomes, more than 140 aid workers were killed in these attacks – the highest number of aid worker fatalities since 2013.
All but two were national staff, highlighting the perils that national aid workers often face.
During the same period, 203 aid workers were injured and 117 were kidnapped.
So far this year, 168 aid workers have been attacked, leading to 44 fatalities.
"Humanitarian needs are at an all-time high, and aid workers are working in ever more dangerous environments,"said Martin Griffiths, the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator and Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, in a press release on Friday.
"As we celebrate World Humanitarian Day, we pay tribute to all humanitarian workers who often work in dangerous conditions to help others in need, and we commemorate those who have lost their lives in the line of duty," he added.
To mark the day, OCHA today launched a one-week campaign to honour humanitarian workers.
Under the theme #ItTakesAVillage, the campaign focuses on how aid workers come together in a collective effort to alleviate extreme need.
The public are invited to follow #ItTakesAVillage on social media, to share, like and comment on the posting, and to use every occasion to show solidarity with people who need aid and appreciation for those who work to deliver it.
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