UN relief chief calls for action on violence against aid workers
The Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Tom Fletcher, today described the normalization of violence against aid workers as a “stain” that “we will not accept,” in remarks to journalists on World Humanitarian Day.
Briefing the press corps at UN Headquarters remotely from the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, Fletcher paid tribute to the humanitarians who work to reach people in need despite the dangers – calling for action, accountability and adherence to international humanitarian law.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) notes that last year set another grim record for violence against aid workers, with 907 colleagues killed, injured or kidnapped.
While the death toll decreased slightly to 350 last year, the overall level of violence did not ease: 322 aid workers survived attacks that left them injured, and 235 were kidnapped, according to the Humanitarian Outcomes’ Aid Worker Security Database.
For the third straight year, Gaza remained the deadliest context, with 186 humanitarians killed last year – followed by Sudan, with 71 killed.
So far this year, 82 aid workers have been killed, 97 injured and 39 kidnapped across the world.
Humanitarians are also increasingly in the crosshairs of armed drones, which is putting lethal power into ever more hands and sending more explosive weapons into towns and cities.
At UN Headquarters and worldwide today, the United Nations flag was lowered to half-mast in honour of humanitarian personnel who have lost their lives.
UN relief chief visits communities facing ‘constant threat’ of drone attacks
Under-Secretary-General Fletcher warned today that the use of drones against civilians has “saturated” Kherson, following a two-day visit* to the region in southern Ukraine.
Speaking to journalists from Kyiv, Fletcher recounted his conversations with civilians who lost limbs to these weapons, the doctors treating them, the volunteers evacuating people from communities on the front lines, and the humanitarians delivering under threat of drone attacks.*
“Everyone – from the kids I met in shelters, civilians, humanitarians, my colleagues – can tell the difference between the sound of a first-person-view drone and a fibre-optic drone and the medium-range drones or the loitering munitions, which are such a threat to our work,” he said. “And so these weapons have become part of life and part of the language of people here, and that’s pretty chilling.”
*B-roll and soundbites from Under-Secretary-General Fletcher’s visit to Kherson are available via OCHA’s Media Centre.
**Donations made to UN Crisis Relief help UN agencies and humanitarian NGOs reach people in Ukraine with urgent support.
Civilians in Gaza, West Bank face further suffering as aid operations come under strain
OCHA warns that continued military activities, insecurity and movement restrictions are deepening civilian suffering and constraining humanitarian operations in Gaza and the West Bank.
In Gaza, leading on security and safety reported shelling, gunfire, naval fire and an air strike yesterday, mainly west of the so-called “Yellow Line,” where most of the Strip’s 2.1 million residents are concentrated. Initial reports indicate that the air strike killed at least seven people and injured others in Gaza city seaport last night.
Such incidents put civilians at risk and can restrict their ability to seek safety, medical care and humanitarian assistance.
In the West Bank, Israeli forces launched an operation today in Adh Dhahiriya, in Hebron governorate, imposing a curfew, deploying snipers on rooftops, and blocking roads with earth mounds. Humanitarian partners estimate that roughly 40,000 people, including children, are currently under curfew and not allowed to leave their homes. This is having an immediate humanitarian impact because people cannot replenish supplies, access essential services, or get to their workplaces.
About seven Palestinian homes have reportedly been used as interrogation centres, after Israeli forces confined families to single rooms, according to partners who have spoken to the municipality, which also reported dozens of arrests.
Homes and families must be protected, and any security operation must be conducted in a manner that respects international law, including the protection and dignity of civilians.
Meanwhile, the UN and its partners continue to provide vital support to people in the West Bank. Yesterday, UNRWA said in a social media post that 4,000 children joined the organization’s summer camps in 34 schools across the West Bank. These children are taking part in sports, arts, theatre and psychosocial support activities.
Humanitarian Coordinator honours aid workers, visits damaged hospital
To mark World Humanitarian Day, Imran Riza, the Humanitarian Coordinator in Lebanon, met today with partners to pay tribute to aid workers and reaffirm the need to protect them. He heard from those who have continued working throughout the escalation of hostilities while being directly affected themselves, highlighting the importance of mental health and the vital role of women-led organizations and partners.
Since 2 March, 21 humanitarian workers have been killed and 25 wounded in Lebanon, according to the Aid Worker Security Database.
This follows the Humanitarian Coordinator’s visit yesterday to the Tebnine Governmental Hospital in Nabatieh Governorate, where he met health workers who have continued providing care despite repeated damage to the facility. Since 2 March, the hospital reported 14 security incidents affecting the facility, including injuries to staff and damage to infrastructure and ambulances.
He also met with local authorities and Lebanese Red Cross paramedics and volunteers and honoured volunteers killed and injured during the escalation of hostilities, including a volunteer killed in Tebnine on 12 April while carrying out humanitarian duties.
OCHA reiterates that civilians – including health and humanitarian workers – and civilian infrastructure must be protected, Humanitarian workers must be able to carry out their work safely and without interference.
UN, partners continue to support earthquake response
OCHA reports that humanitarian organizations continue to support communities affected by the devastating earthquakes that struck Venezuela nearly two months ago. According to the authorities, the death toll has now exceeded 6,400.
OCHA is supporting more than 80 international and local organizations, as well as the authorities, to help people recovering from the earthquakes and floods. More than 300,000 people have received food, health services, clean water and hygiene support through the earthquake response, which aims to support 1.3 million people over the next six months.
At the same time, the UN and its partners continue to support people in need across the country through the broader 2026 Humanitarian Response Plan, which predated the earthquake and has reached 1.2 million people as of the end of July.
The Humanitarian Response Plan is just over 40 per cent funded, leaving a funding gap of more than US$530 million.
Drought, aid cuts heighten challenges for communities in need
OCHA warns that severe drought and shrinking humanitarian assistance due to funding shortfalls are taking a heavy toll on communities in Somalia and their livelihoods, especially in the north and central regions.
The situation is particularly dire in the regions of Sool, Sanaag, Bari, Nugaal and Mudug, where up to 1.9 million people are estimated to be acutely food insecure. The drought has triggered a severe water crisis, with more than three quarters of traditional water sources in some regions having dried up.
The drought is also threatening health and nutrition, at a time when some 1.9 million children are suffering from acute malnutrition. In three northern districts – Laas Caanood, Badhan and Buuhoodle – 10 public hospitals are struggling to remain operational because of insufficient funding.
Emergency Relief Coordinator Fletcher previously allocated $10 million for a rapid response to the drought in Somalia. But overall funding remains critically low, hampering the humanitarian response. As of today, this year’s humanitarian appeal is less than a third funded.
Meanwhile, the ripple effects of the conflict in the Middle East are adding further pressure. Higher fuel costs and disruptions to maritime supply chains are driving food prices up by as much as 20 per cent.
The situation could worsen between October and December, when El Niño is expected to increase the risk of widespread flooding. The UN and its partners have stepped up preparations for El Nino, but additional funding is urgently needed.