141 aid workers were killed in 2021 in violent attacks, according a report, released today by the research organization Humanitarian Outcomes. Last year 461 humanitarian staff were victims of mayor attacks, the Aid Worker Security Report 2022 says. The most violent context for aid workers continued to be South Sudan, followed by Afghanistan, Syria and Ethiopia.
Of the humanitarian workers who died, 98% were national staff and 2% were international staff, highlighting the dangers that local aid workers often face in humanitarian emergencies around the world. 203 aid workers were injured and 117 were kidnapped. According to Humanitarian Outcomes, attacks against aid workers became more lethal in 2021 despite there being fewer major incidents relative to the two previous years. Most people were killed by small weapons. Airstrikes and shelling were the second largest known cause of death.
These latest verified casualty statistics are based on data from the Aid Worker Security Database (AWSD). Initiated in 2005, AWSD records major incidents of violence against aid workers, with incident reports from 1997 through the present. The Database is a project of Humanitarian Outcomes and supported by USAID. According to AWSD in 2022 (as of August 18), 168 aid workers were victims of mayor attacks, leading to 44 fatalities so far.
Humanitarian Outcomes is a London-based team of specialist consultants providing research and policy advice for humanitarian aid agencies and donor governments. The organization is registered as a private limited company in the United Kingdom.
Further information
Full Text: Aid Worker Security Report 2022: Collateral violence: Managing risks for aid operations in major conflict, by Humanitarian Outcomes, released August 18, 2022.
https://www.humanitarianoutcomes.org/sites/default/files/publications/awsr_2022.pdf
Aid Worker Security Database (AWSD)
https://www.aidworkersecurity.org