Tragically, 2023 was the deadliest year for humanitarian workers in recent history. Even more alarmingly, 2024 is on track to be worse.

In response, this year’s World Humanitarian Day centres around the theme ‘Act for Humanity’, and its aim is to highlight and address the continued attacks on civilians and humanitarian operations. It calls for the enforcement of international humanitarian standards to prevent impunity for these violent transgressions.

World Humanitarian Day is held annually on 19 August to remember and honour humanitarian workers injured or killed while aiding and supporting populations affected by crisis. With hundreds of millions of people in urgent need of humanitarian assistance and protection due to protracted and complex conflicts, the demand for their efforts has never been greater.

But, as conflicts grow more volatile and established international humanitarian laws and norms come under widespread assault, those delivering critical services and assistance face increasing risk and appalling attacks.

As medical students and doctors, we stand for the wellbeing of all humanity and in solidarity with humanitarian and medical workers in particular, knowing that their difficult and dangerous work is often overlooked. Protections for such workers are enshrined in international humanitarian law. Given the horrific conflicts raging around the world, it is now more critical than ever that the international community use all available leverage to hold perpetrators of egregious humanitarian violations accountable for their actions. 

Laws of war violated

Humanitarian workers across the world are being killed in terrible numbers, with the death count increasing year on year. In 2022, 118 aid workers were killed, and that number swelled to 280 in 2023. The Red Cross and Red Crescent have now warned that 2024 could be the deadliest year yet for its staff and volunteers. This worrying prediction is backed by the devasting and disturbing rate of aid worker casualties and deaths.

Humanitarian workers have come under attack from Russian airstrikes and artillery bombardments in Ukraine, they have been bombed by Israeli forces while caring for patients and sheltering at organisational facilities with their families in Gaza, and been targeted by armed groups while delivering life-saving operations in clearly marked aid convoys in Sudan.

These are just some of the dangers aid workers face every day. The humanitarian space is shrinking – access afforded to our colleagues, and the special protection and safety they are entitled to under the laws of war, are being blatantly disregarded or violated without repercussions.

The BMA is undertaking work to explore the nature of the threats our brave colleagues face in conflict zones. In recent months, we have expressed our alarm surrounding the undermining of the protections afforded to healthcare workers in conflict zones. We have released statements, written articles, and exchanged letters with the previous foreign secretary regarding our concerns with the aforementioned conflicts. 

Organisations face impossible decisions between their staff’s safety and providing life-saving assistance

At the April 2024 World Medical Association council session, the BMA proposed an emergency resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and for all parties to abide by international humanitarian law, amongst other calls. This was supported and passed unanimously by the WMA.

The peril facing humanitarian workers has meant that in some instances, organisations are facing impossible decisions between their staff’s safety and providing life-saving assistance to those in need. Where unlawful attacks persist, it becomes increasingly difficult to distribute medical and humanitarian aid and ensure health and humanitarian workers are suitably equipped to deliver care. 

These lifelines are necessary for the resilience and sustenance of communities in their most vulnerable moments. These attacks on healthcare and humanitarian operations are a direct assault on the very essence of human dignity and the fundamental right to life. They must end now. 

Dr Latifa Patel is chair of the BMA representative body