Since the outbreak of hostilities in the Middle East, humanitarian and medical staff have found themselves under fire, threatening the survival of civilians in need of assistance. If this trend continues, we fear having to mourn the death of more colleagues killed while trying to save lives.
In less than two weeks, these fears have begun to materialize. A Lebanese Red Cross rescuer died from severe injuries sustained while trying to assist injured civilians; others also suffered injuries. In Iran, employees and volunteers of the Iranian Red Crescent Society suffered injuries while providing assistance to civilians affected by hostilities.
The staff and volunteers of the Red Cross and Red Crescent, as well as those of Magen David Adom in Israel, continue their work in the region despite the dangers, risking their lives to help those in distress.
Humanitarian workers are protected under international humanitarian law. Just over a year ago, eight Palestinian Red Crescent rescuers were brutally killed while providing care to the wounded in Gaza. While this tragedy sparked global outrage, in all current conflicts, humanitarian workers and medical personnel continue to be killed, injured, abducted, or detained while simply trying to assist populations.
As recently as last Wednesday, a UNICEF colleague was killed in a suspected drone attack in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Since the beginning of the year, several employees and volunteers of the Red Cross and Red Crescent have lost their lives in the line of duty, not only in Lebanon but also in Sudan, Gaza, and Iran.
We reiterate our demand and once again call on states and parties to conflicts to immediately take concrete measures to protect these women and men who risk their lives to save others. Protecting humanitarian workers is about preserving our common humanity. Many lives are at stake, within our teams, but also in the communities they are helping.
