280 aid workers killed globally in 2023, OCHA reveals

Aid workers on the frontlines of the world's conflicts are being killed in unprecedented numbers, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said Monday as it marked World Humanitarian Day. "With 280 aid workers killed in 33 countries last year, 2023 marked the deadliest year on record for the global humanitarian community," OCHA said. "This outrageously high number represents a 137 per cent increase compared to 2022, when 118 aid workers were killed," OCHA added. OCHA explained that 2024 may be on track for an even deadlier outcome. As of 7 August, 172 aid workers have been killed, according to the provisional count from the Aid Worker Security Database. More than half of the 2023 deaths were recorded in the first three months - October to December - of the hostilities in Gaza, mostly as a result of airstrikes, the UN office noted. Source: Jordan News Agency