Talk to UN News From the Wartor enclave to mark World Humanitarian Day, Olga Cherevko from the United Nations Coordination Office, Ochhasaid exhausted marine workers continue to come to work “day after day”.
By approaching two years since the start of the war in Gaza, Ms. Cherevko underlined the commitment of her Palestinian colleagues, “the doctors, the nurses, the workers of the Haid that many of them have lost everything and several times”.
Crossed red lines
In comments in support of humanitarian workers everywhere, the UN Secretary General António Guterres Stressed that the humanitarian teams “are the last rescue buoy for more than 300 million people” affected by conflicts or disasters.
Despite their rescue role, financing reductions have a serious and negative impact on the most vulnerable people in the world, warned Mr. Guterres, while those who provide aid are more and more attacked as “The red lines are crossed with impunity”.
This despite the fact that such attacks are prohibited under international law, the UN chief continued, noting that although governments have promised measures to protect them, “What is missing is political will – and moral courage … humanitarian workers must be respected and protected. They can never be targeted. “
Helpless to help
From its base in Deir Al-Balah in the center of Gaza, Ms. Cherevko has thought about the nature of humanitarian work today and the frustration to which the teams often help when their rescue missions are delayed, preventing them from providing large-scale aid.
“I think that as a humanitarian, I sometimes feel helpless in Gaza because I know what we can do as a humanitarian when we cannot do it, both here in Gaza and in any other humanitarian crisis,” she explained.
“The fact that we continue to deal with massive obstacles to provide aid aid, when our missions are delayed, when our missions lasted 12, 14, 18 hours;The ways given to us are dangerous, impassive or inaccessible. »»
Increase in killings
The latest data indicates an increase of 31% of deaths per assistant workers compared to 2023, drawn by the incessant conflict in Gaza.
The band saw 181 humanitarian workers killed in 2024, with 60 additional deaths in Sudan. More broadly, violence against humanitarian workers increased in 21 countries in 2024 compared to the previous year, with the actors of the state the most common authors.
In a disturbing way, there is no sign that the trend slows this year, with 265 humanitarian workers killed on August 14 of this year, according to provisional data from the assistance worker data database.
In the midst of the first reports according to which Hamas accepted a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza and a continuous uncertainty on the Israeli level to continue a complete military control of the enclave, Ms. Cherevko of Ocha underlined the need for a permanent end of the conflict.
Help teams are exhausted and “Everyone always shows up (working), but courage alone and commitment alone will not feed people, will not save people ”she insisted. “What we need is, once again, a permanent ceasefire. We need political solutions to this conflict and a resolution to this crisis. ”
According to OCHA, most of the humanitarian workers killed last year were national staff serving their communities, attacked in the exercise of their functions or at their home.
308 additional people were injured, with 125 kidnapped and 45 detainees in 2024.
“Even an attack on a humanitarian colleague is an attack on us all and on the people we serve“Said Tom Fletcher, Coordinator of United Nations Emergency Rescue. “Attacks against this scale, without responsibility, are a shameful indictment of international inaction and apathy.. Violence against humanitarian workers is not inevitable. It must end. “”
Why are we marking World Humanitarian Day?
On August 19, 2003, an attack on the bomb against the Canal hotel in Baghdad killed 22 humanitarian workers, including the United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary General for Iraq, Sergio Vieira de Mello. Five years later, the General Assembly adopted a resolution designating on August 19 as World Humanitarian Day.
Each year, International Day brings together partners from the whole humanitarian system to defend the survival, well-being and dignity of people affected by crises and safety of humanitarian workers.
The theme of this year’s commemoration supervised by the OCHA is the end of attacks on humanitarian workers and civilians and impunity under international humanitarian law. “We urge those in power at #Actforhumanity,” said the United Nations Agency.
Publicado anteriormente en Almouwatin.
