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** “A grave betrayal of humanity”: Abhorrent attacks on aid workers must stop
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ICRC – News Release
19 August 2025
This statement on World Humanitarian Day is attributed to Kate Forbes, president of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and Mirjana Spoljaric, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, on increasing attacks against humanitarian personnel.
Geneva (IFRC/ICRC)— In 2025 alone, 18 staff and volunteers of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement were killed while carrying out their lifesaving work in Gaza, in Sudan, in South Sudan, in Iran, in Ethiopia and in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Many others have been killed off duty – in their homes, with their families or simply going about daily life. Others have been injured, arbitrarily detained or kidnapped.
Deliberately targeting humanitarian organisations through false and harmful information adds to the threats faced by aid workers, notably by portraying them as legitimate targets.
Despite these risks, our colleagues continue to show up not because they are fearless, but because the suffering is too urgent to ignore. Yet, courage is not protection, and dedication does not deflect bullets.
The Declaration for the Protection of Humanitarian Personnel, which seeks to unite states in reversing this tragic trend, is a critical step and must translate into tangible action on the ground.
The rules of war are clear: humanitarian personnel must be respected and protected. Every attack is a grave betrayal of humanity, and the rules designed to protect them and the communities they serve. Each killing sends a dangerous message that their lives were expendable. They were not. 
We call on all states, parties to conflict and global leaders to take immediate concrete steps to protect those who risk everything to save lives. When humanitarian workers are protected, so is our shared humanity.  
About the ICRC
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is a neutral, impartial and independent organization with an exclusively humanitarian mandate that stems from the Geneva Conventions of 1949. It helps people around the world affected by armed conflict and other violence, doing everything it can to protect their lives and dignity and to relieve their suffering, often alongside its Red Cross and Red Crescent partners.
** For more information, please contact:
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Public Relations Unit | International Committee of the Red Cross | 19, avenue de la Paix | 1202 Geneva | Switzerland
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ICRC, Avenue de la Paix, 19, Geneva, . 1201 Switzerland