EU to create ‘safety net’ for local aid workers

The European Union (EU) said on Monday that it will create, through its “Protect Aid Workers” mechanism, a “safety net” for local aid workers who often have limited resources and cannot count on the protection of large international organizations

“While attacks on international aid workers often make the headlines, it is national staff who are most at risk of being killed, kidnapped or wounded while on duty. Through this mechanism, we aim to create a safety net for local aid workers who often have limited resources and cannot rely on the protection of large international organizations,” stress the EU’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell, and the European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response, Janez Lenarčič, in a Statement on World Humanitarian Day.

Highlighting this “selfless vocation” to bring help – but also hope – to the most vulnerable, the two European leaders drew attention to the “grave dangers” faced by humanitarian workers, who carry out their duties in war zones and environments where their own safety is not guaranteed.

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), some 280 humanitarian workers were killed in conflict zones where they were providing aid to affected populations in 2023. This figure represents a 137% increase on 2022, which saw the deaths of 118 humanitarian workers.