Open season

Yesterday (August 19), the world marked World Humanitarian Day, held annually since 2008. The day focuses on bringing together partners from across the humanitarian system to advocate for the survival, well-being and dignity of people affected by crises, and for the safety and security of aid workers. This issue is arguably more pertinent now than ever before. As per the UN, 2023 was the deadliest year on record for humanitarian workers, with 280 aid workers killed in 33 countries. This represents a 137 per cent increase from 2022. More than half of the 2023 aid worker deaths were recorded in the first three months of Israel’s genocidal assault on Gaza. Unsurprisingly, military actions that target civilians in their homes, schools and even hospitals will also endanger those seeking to help them. As things stand, the UN estimates that the current year could be even worse for humanitarian workers, with 172 aid workers killed as of August 7. Apart from the attack on Gaza, conflicts in Sudan and South Sudan have also contributed to the record death tolls.

The theme for this year was #ActForHumanity, confronting the normalization of attacks on civilians and humanitarian aid workers, both categories protected under international humanitarian law, and the impunity the perpetrators of such attacks have enjoyed. The aim is to put pressure on parties to conflict to strengthen protection of civilians and humanitarian workers in conflict zones. However, with over 40,000 civilians now dead in Gaza with little to no consequences for those perpetrating the barbarism in Israel, stopping normalization may well be unattainable. Although the International Court of Justice has ruled that the Israeli presence in the occupied Palestinian territories is illegal and the International Criminal Court’s prosecutor is seeking an arrest warrant for Israeli PM Netanyahu, none of this has stopped the Zionist state from inflicting as much pain, suffering and regional destabilization as it wants. While Israel is indeed facing more international opprobrium than ever before, one can argue that efforts to punish its leadership for its war crimes have been rather weak.

Once again, we are all reminded that the international governance apparatus lacks any real teeth without the backing of the world’s most powerful countries. And, sadly, the most powerful of the powerful has continued its senseless backing of a genocidal occupying power even at the cost of its own interests. Regardless of the outcome of this year’s US election, one cannot see this backing ending any time soon. This leaves the civilians living in conflict zones and the humanitarian workers trying to help them in more danger than ever before. Selective enforcement only weakens international governance. The lessons that the world’s tyrants and bigots are currently learning is that either the inviolability of civilians and aid workers does not matter or that it is okay as long as one can secure Western backing. Those outside of the West’s orbit are not likely to stick to rules their enemies openly violate, endangering civilians everywhere. In this climate, humanitarian workers will not be able to count on any protections once they are in the field, eroding their ability to save lives and deliver help to those that need it most.