Ten years ago, 80 percent of humanitarian assistance worldwide went to addressing natural disasters. Today, 80 percent is spent on handling the results of violent conflict, said Thomas Staal, acting assistant administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development.
An increase in aid worker attacks accompanies these statistics. In 2014 there were 190 attacks against aid workers — triple the 63 attacks reported in 2004. Meanwhile, the number of aid workers killed surged to 121 in 2014 from 56 in 2003, a time span that also saw a dramatic rise in harassment by roadside militias and unwarranted search and seizures.
“Around the world, humanitarians grapple with the willful denial of access,” Staal said. “Humanitarian aid is obstructed by incomprehensible rules as well as bad actors, while arms flow freely across borders.”
About the author
Larry Luxner
Miami native Larry Luxner, a veteran journalist and photographer, has reported from more than 100 countries in Latin America, Africa, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Asia for a variety of news outlets. He lived for many years in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Washington, D.C., before relocating to Israel in January 2017.
