Campaign
Not A Target: Stop crimes against humanitarian workers
Today is World Humanitarian Day, which pays tribute to the humanitarian workers who risk their lives in the field to help those in need. These workers are being targeted more and more. Today, it is more necessary than ever to raise the alarm about increased attacks on humanitarian workers.
More and more frequently, deliberate attacks are targeting humanitarian workers. Data collected on the safety of humanitarian workers points to an increase in serious attacks, meaning those resulting in injury, kidnapping, threats or death. The majority of these attacks are concentrated in a small number of extremely violent areas where a prolonged conflict is taking place (Sahel, Chad Basin, South Sudan, Afghanistan, Yemen and even Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Syria, etc.).
To condemn these attacks, the global humanitarian community has been mobilising through the hashtag #NotATarget since 2017, in order to raise awareness of the situation faced by civilians and humanitarian workers present in conflict zones and to call upon leaders to do everything in their power to protect civilians, in line with their obligations within international humanitarian law.
Since 2011, more than 10,000 incidents have been recorded, in which 636 humanitarian workers were killed, 1,577 were injured and 1,603 were kidnapped while they were carrying out their duties. The vast majority were nationals, meaning they were born in the country where they work.
Since just the beginning of 2022, there have been more than 700 security incidents. As of June 2022, 25 humanitarian workers have been killed, 58 injured and 49 kidnapped since the start of the year.
On 18 July 2019, 7 members of our team were attacked on the road in Nigeria. One driver was killed at the scene. The other six were kidnapped. Five of them would be executed in the following months. Grace, the final hostage, is still being held.
In 2024, 331 humanitarian workers were killed¹, 251 wounded, 71 kidnapped, and 207 arrested, the highest figures in nearly 30 years.
Seventy-five years after the signing of the Geneva Conventions, the United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 2730 in 2024, which calls on States to respect and protect humanitarian personnel in accordance with their obligations under international law. It should be noted that a Protect Aid Workers mechanism was launched in 2024 with the support of the European Union, which provides support to humanitarian workers who are victims of incidents in the course of their work or to their families.
Why are humanitarian workers targeted?
In some countries at war, the combatants suspect them of supporting one of the camps when they assist victims. Each side questions their neutrality and accuses them of supporting the other camp.
They are also victims of political acts. Relations between countries can have an effect on their safety. The geopolitical and diplomatic situation between two countries can affect humanitarian workers’ security. Local or expatriate humanitarian workers are identified just by the nationality of the NGO they work for.
Attacks targeting humanitarian workers directly make up 24% of the total incidents. The rest are theft and threats. Humanitarian workers are also subject to attacks outside of their professional context, like the civilian population. In 2018, an Action against Hunger partner was killed by bombing at home in Yemen.
Populations deprived of aid
On 4 August 2006, 17 of our colleagues were executed in Muttur in Sri Lanka. The 17 Action against Hunger workers were killed during a surprise attack on their offices while they were trying to help the local population. Having supported 100,000 people in Sri Lanka since 2005, we finally decided to leave the country two years after the massacre. As well as the victims, their loved ones and their colleagues, a whole population was affected.
These deliberate attacks on organisations make NGOs’ work more difficult and deprive millions of people of the humanitarian aid they need. Every attack harms an already vulnerable population that needs humanitarian assistance.
No more impunity
Most of these crimes go unpunished, and the culprits are rarely prosecuted.
Some 16 years after the Muttur Massacre, where 17 Action against Hunger humanitarian workers were killed, no suspect has been arrested, and no justice has been done. More recently, in 2020, 6 French colleagues from the NGO ACED were killed in Niger.
Given the vulnerability of national humanitarian workers and local organisations, Action against Hunger calls upon the international community to guarantee protection for all humanitarian staff and to commit to prosecuting any parties behind attacks on these workers.
We strongly condemn the impunity seen in relation to attacks on humanitarian workers and goods. These war crimes constitute an unacceptable breach of international humanitarian law. We call upon the parties in all conflicts to respect their legal obligations and facilitate the provision of neutral humanitarian aid in line with the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and non-discrimination. Action against Hunger calls upon all states and the international community to mobilise urgently at the highest level, in order to find operational solutions to protect all humanitarian staff, in accordance with existing legal obligations.
Support humanitarian workers and say ‘stop’ to crime.
Without you, humanitarian work would not be possible. #NotATarget