Red Cross decries 'surge in violence' against aid workers

Volunteers deliver community aid to affected residents after a forest fire in the Poblacion Monte Sinai neighborhood in Viña Del Mar, Chile, on February 7, 2024. [AFP]

Humanitarian workers face surging violence and worsening working conditions, with intensifying global conflicts and respect for international law on the decline, top Red Cross officials warned Wednesday.

"Today, our work is increasingly difficult," said Kate Forbes, president of the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

"Global conflicts have escalated, endangering civilians and our volunteers, making it even more difficult to deliver humanitarian aid."

Forbes was speaking before the IFRC's general assembly in Geneva, bringing together representatives of 191 Red Cross and Red Crescent national societies.

Together, they count more than 16 million volunteers worldwide.

She voiced alarm that 30 of the network's volunteers had been killed since the beginning of this year alone.

Many of those were victims of the devastating war Israel is waging against Hamas in Gaza, while others died in Sudan's harrowing civil war.

"Each loss is a deep one for both the communities we serve and for our global network, weakening our ability to support those in need," Forbes said.

She warned that "the surge in violence against humanitarian workers underscores a decline in the adherence to international humanitarian law and poses a direct threat to our mission".

Mirjana Spoljaric, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, agreed, arguing the movement was being "confronted with unprecedented challenges to our principles".

"As we come together today, intense armed conflicts and political turmoil shape the world we operate in," she told the assembly.

"The relevance of impartial, neutral, and independent humanitarian action -- which ensures we can reach those most in need -- are being tested at an alarming rate," she said.

"This is exactly when our commitment to these principles matters most."

Spoljaric's ICRC will co-organise an international conference with the IFRC next week in Geneva, due to focus heavily on how to boost compliance with international law.

She said the planet's largest humanitarian network was seeing "the world standing by, allowing for the dehumanisation of entire populations".

"This is precisely when we must work together to put humanity at the centre," she said.

Faced with the rising death toll, Forbes on Wednesday announced the establishment of "the Red Family Fund", aimed at providing financial support to the families of those who have died in the line of duty.

"This is a tangible step that demonstrates our commitment to honour those who care for others," she said.