Overall violence against United Nations and other humanitarian workers increased last year, and the threat level is unlikely to abate anytime soon.
Twenty-three U.N. workers were killed in 2015, the highest numbers seen since 2011, when 26 died on the job, according to the annual U.N. secretary-general report on safety and security of U.N. and humanitarian personnel. Meanwhile, 1,819 United Nations personnel were affected by safety and security incidents in 2015, 85 more than were impacted in 2014.
Most fatalities came as a result of crime and violent acts, as well as terrorism, armed conflict and civil unrest, as the U.N. operates in Syria, Somalia, Yemen, Afghanistan, Iraq and other complex environments.
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About the author
Amy Liebermanamylieberman
Amy Lieberman is the U.N. Correspondent for Devex. She covers the United Nations and reports on global development and politics. Amy previously worked as a freelance reporter, covering the environment, human rights, immigration, and health across the U.S. and in more than 10 countries, including Colombia, Mexico, Nepal, and Cambodia. Her coverage has appeared in the Guardian, the Atlantic, Slate, and the Los Angeles Times. A native New Yorker, Amy received her master’s degree in politics and government from Columbia’s School of Journalism.
