As we observed the 2024 World Humanitarian Day on August 19, the Nigerian government has called attention to the ongoing attacks on humanitarian workers in the nation. Worries over these attacks in Nigeria have grown, especially in conflict-affected areas like the Northeast, where insurgents groups operate. These have put aid workers’ lives in danger, interfered with vital aid operations, and made it more difficult to deliver necessary services to vulnerable populations. Targeted killings, ambushes, and kidnappings are just a few of the violent acts that aid workers in Nigeria face.
Speaking during a press conferences in Abuja, the Federal Commissioner of the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), Tijani Ahmed, stated that this year’s campaign themed “ActForHumanity”, seeks to addresses the alarming rise in attacks on humanitarian workers and civilians. Humanitarian workers in Nigeria have often been caught in the crossfire of armed non-state actors. There have been a number of well-known kidnappings, which frequently result in Ransom demands or open executions.
Aid workers have occasionally been caught in the crossfire.
In July 2020, ISWAP abducted and executed five relief workers from different organizations, such as Action Against Hunger and the International Rescue Committee (IRC). Ambushes have occurred against humanitarian convoys and facilities, resulting in casualties and the loss of essential supplies. Aid workers have occasionally been caught in the crossfire or the victim of intentional attacks while providing food, medication, or other necessities. According to data from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), more than 40 humanitarian workers lost their lives in Nigeria between 2016 and 2020.
There have been 49 confirmed incidents impacting 79 aid workers between 2020 and 2024. Such as the horrific death of a Médecins du Monde charity worker, the injury of a UN pilot, and the attack on the UN charity Facility in Borno State, which left at least 20 internally displaced people dead and compelled relief workers to escape for their lives. At least 26 aid workers in Nigeria have been abducted, ambushed, or attacked while performing their jobs in 2024 alone.
280 aid workers were killed in 33 countries last year.
Humanitarian efforts have been suspended or halted entirely in a number of regions, most notably in the states of Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa, due to the continuous conflict. Security concerns prevented at least 1.9 million people in these regions from receiving vital humanitarian aid as of 2023. According to global humanitarian safety reports, Nigeria is one of the most dangerous countries in the world for aid workers. The Nigerian government has demanded improved protection for humanitarian workers and denounced these attacks together with its international allies.
However, maintaining the safety of those providing humanitarian aid is extremely difficult given the unstable state of affairs. Attacks against relief workers impact relief efforts in conflict zones and disaster-affected communities across the world. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), 280 aid workers were killed in 33 countries last year, making it the deadliest year on record for aid workers. Compared to 2022, when 118 relief workers lost their lives, this number indicates a 137% rise. The possibility that 2024 will be even deadlier is far more concerning.
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Citing the preliminary figure from the Aid Worker Security Database, OCHA said that as of August 7th, there have been 172 deaths of relief workers. In spite of widely acknowledged international regulations intended to control the conduct of armed conflict and lessen its effects, these laws are still violated on a regular basis without any repercussions. The 2024 campaign aims to increase public support in order to put more pressure on world leaders to improve the protection of people, especially aid workers, who are stranded in conflict areas. In line with international humanitarian law (IHL), the UN’s 2024 World Humanitarian Day efforts will address the repression of attacks on civilians, particularly humanitarians, and retribution.