Providing humanitarian aid to vulnerable people in the most difficult places around the world isn’t easy. World Hope International on this World Humanitarian Day, Aug. 19, 2024, thanks its employees, partners and supporters for working to achieve a more just world. But today is also a time to thank the humanitarians who sacrificed their lives to protect the lives of others. 

World Hope International prioritizes safety: of the people who receive aid through the organization, as well as that of employees, volunteers and partners on the ground.  

OCHA puts the number of aid workers kidnapped during the same time at 78, with the number of wounded at 196.

“2023 was the deadliest year on record for humanitarian workers,” the UN states on its website. “2024 could be even worse. These facts lay bare a glaring truth: the world is failing humanitarian workers and, by extension, the people they serve.

“Despite universally accepted international laws to regulate the conduct of armed conflict and limit its impact, violations of these laws continue unabated, unchallenged and unchecked. And while civilians, including aid workers, pay the ultimate price, the perpetrators continue to evade justice.”