Why the world cannot normalize the killing of those who help
On World Humanitarian Day, Kate Forbes, president of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and Mirjana Spoljaric, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, call for stronger action to protect humanitarian personnel and preserve the space for humanitarian work.
On World Humanitarian Day, we rightly celebrate the courage of humanitarian workers and volunteers. But honouring their bravery and commitment while aid workers are being killed in record numbers is not enough.
So far this year, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement has mourned 12 colleagues killed in violence-related incidents while carrying out their work. Last year, that number stood at 24.
We must not allow the targeting of aid workers to become normalized. Today there is a real risk that the world comes to accept that humanitarian personnel will be attacked, injured or killed as “part of the job” or an inevitable feature of today’s crises.
The answer cannot be to ask our colleagues to be braver. The answer must be to make it possible for them to do their jobs safely.
The reality on the ground
Every day, somewhere in the world, a humanitarian worker sets out knowing they may not return home. They are medics, drivers, engineers and volunteers. Their courage is extraordinary. But courage does not stop bullets or guarantee safe passage.
The risks are also becoming harder to navigate. In an increasingly polarized environment, facts are contested, trust is fragile and falsehoods spread quickly. Political leaders, public figures, media and online platforms all shape the environment in which humanitarian action takes place.
Rhetoric that dehumanizes humanitarian workers, casts suspicion on impartial assistance or erodes trust in the emblems can make already dangerous work even more dangerous. Harmful information campaigns deliberately targeted at aid workers often do not remain online. They can have real-world consequences in terms of the danger and hostility our teams face while carrying out their work.
Protection requires action
The safety of our colleagues depends on governments and parties to armed conflicts upholding their obligations under international humanitarian law. We are encouraged that 122 states have signed the Declaration for the Protection of Humanitarian Personnel, and are hopeful that this renewed commitment will translate into concrete measures to strengthen the safety and security of aid workers.
Expressions of support for humanitarian workers matter, but words must be matched by decisions from those with power and influence to uphold the rules, defend the space for humanitarian action and make choices that allow aid workers to reach people and return home.
Protecting humanitarian personnel is not a favour to our organizations. It is an obligation and, more importantly, a lifeline for every person who will one day depend on an ambulance that arrives, a volunteer who stays or an aid worker who is able to reach them because the world has preserved the space to do so safely.
