Just over 1,200 people have signed an online petition launched in late July to put staff welfare on the agenda at the first World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul, Turkey. It’s a small number for an aid worker community now estimated to be 450,000-strong, although the ticker is still climbing.
Thousands more are likely to have a bone to pick with the staff wellness care they have or haven’t been offered before, during or after working in high-stress environments and conflict zones. After all, a decline on aid worker attacks last year still left it the second-highest number on record, with 190 major attacks against aid operations in 2014, according to the latest Humanitarian Outcomes Aid Worker Security Report. In total, 329 aid workers in 27 countries were affected.
Staff welfare, though, isn’t just treatment for individuals after a critical incident, nor is it about flying in counselors after a disaster. It isn’t about work-life balance, security, LGBTI-inclusion efforts, anti-bullying measures, fair contracts or decent rest and relaxation allowance.
About the author
Kelli Rogers@kellierin
Kelli Rogers has worked as an Associate Editor and Southeast Asia Correspondent for Devex, with a particular focus on gender. Prior to that, she reported on social and environmental issues from Nairobi, Kenya. Kelli holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri, and has reported from more than 20 countries.
