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WASHINGTON, Aug 19 (OneWorld.net) - The people who spend their days and nights handing out food, treating the sick, counseling traumatized refugees and educating at-risk children are facing greater personal risks than ever before. Some 260 aid workers were killed, kidnapped, or seriously injured during the past year, the highest yearly toll ever recorded.
"Our ability to assist those who need it most is being severely tested....The nature of conflict is changing, with a multiplicity of armed groups -- some of whom view humanitarians as legitimate targets," wrote António Guterres, head of the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in a statement marking World Humanitarian Day, being celebrated for the first time today.
Over the last decade, 700 humanitarian workers have lost their lives. But the frequency of attacks has increased dramatically over the past few years -- the number of attacks during only the past three years was triple the level of the previous nine years.
Today, Aug. 19, commemorates the day in 2003 when the UN office in Baghdad was bombed, killing 22 people including Sergio Vieira de Mello, the top UN envoy for Iraq. Increasing violence against humanitarian workers is causing many groups to rethink the level of risk to which staff is exposed -- a factor that could limit vital aid to people in conflict zones.
Just yesterday, two more UN staff died during a suicide bombing in Afghanistan's capital, Kabul. And at least 95 people were killed and over 500 wounded in attacks across Baghdad today -- the bloodiest day in the city all year.
"World Humanitarian Day is an opportunity both to remember those who have been killed or injured and to honor those continuing to carry out their humanitarian work despite the danger," wrote the UNHCR in a press release today. [See the full statement from the UNHCR below.]
Impunity Stoking Danger in Pakistan
Due to the recent conflict in Swat, Pakistan has become one of the most dangerous countries in the world for humanitarian workers and volunteers. Civilians are paying a heavy price as aid groups are forced to scale back operations in several volatile regions of the country.
The offices of PLAN International, a group promoting the interests of children worldwide, were attacked in February 2008, leaving four staff members dead. Since then, many organizations across northwest Pakistan have stopped or limited operations, reported the humanitarian news service IRIN. Many groups report threats of violence from militants if they continue their work.
"The dangers have grown because nothing was done in the past to penalize those making the threats," said IA Rehman, secretary-general for the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan.
The UNHCR lost three staff members in Pakistan in the last six months, noted a recent report from the UN News Center. In February, Syed Hashim was shot dead in Pakistan during the kidnapping of another worker. In June, Aleksandar Vorkapic died in the bombing of a hotel in Peshawar. And in July, Pakistani aid worker Zill-e Usman was shot dead at a camp in the northwest part of the country.
Attacks on the Rise Worldwide
The deadly Baghdad bombing remembered today is just one of many attacks against humanitarian workers in recent years. For the past few years, groups have documented a string of attacks on aid workers in some of the poorest and most violent parts of the world, reported OneWorld.net, which honored those killed in the line of duty in its "People of 2008" edition of Perspectives Magazine.
In November 2008, American aid worker Stephen Vance and his driver were killed by gunmen in northwest Pakistan. In August of last year, four humanitarian aid workers in Afghanistan were attacked and killed by the Taliban. The Taliban also claimed responsibility for yesterday's attack in Kabul that took the lives of two UN workers -- and five others -- ahead of tomorrow's nationwide elections.
Aid organizations in parts of Africa have endured similar strikes. At least 40 aid workers were killed in Somalia during 2008, and a driver for the World Food Program was shot dead that April in Darfur, Sudan. In December 2007, 17 UN staff members were killed in Algiers.
The rising tide of violence, intimidation, and harassment is forcing aid organizations to cut back and, in some cases, suspend their operations despite the vast humanitarian needs of communities in these areas.
"Without humanitarian aid, the basic human rights of millions of people -- including the right to seek asylum from persecution, the right to education, and, most fundamental of all, the right to life -- would be denied," warned UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay today.
Delivering Aid, Despite the Risks
During a ceremony at the UN headquarters in New York City, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today urged the international community "to renew our commitment to help vulnerable, voiceless, and marginalized people wherever they may be. That is the abiding mission of the humanitarian community."
Margaret Chan, head of the World Health Organization, echoed this sentiment, saying that "as the number of emergencies continues to increase, we must remain steadfast in our determination to help -- to be quickly on the scene in the growing number of 'hot spots' around the world."
UN General Assembly President Miguel D'Escoto stressed that those responsible need to be brought to justice, in order to stem the rising tide of violence. In a speech, he called on governments around the world to protect humanitarian workers in their countries.
"Every day, humanitarians work in some of the most dangerous places on earth," says a United Nations tribute video released for World Humanitarian Day. "Since 1997, more than 750 have lost their lives in the line of duty. Their legacy lives on..."
- This article was compiled by Brittany Schell.
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