Health‑care workers risk their lives in warzones. Are we protecting them enough? |
Warzones are full of danger.
But that’s never stopped humanitarian workers from living and working in such places, with the aim of keeping civilians safe.
Humanitarian workers are deployed to locations ravaged by conflict or natural disasters. Most recently, they’ve helped distribute essential supplies including food, water and medicine to communities affected by the US-Iran conflict.
In the last three years, more than 1,000 humanitarian workers have been killed while serving in war-torn regions. Just last week, Australia joined six other nations in calling for more legal protections for humanitarian personnel.
So what do humanitarian workers do? And are we doing enough to keep them safe?
Who are humanitarian workers?
Humanitarian workers provide humanitarian assistance to vulnerable people. This includes any effort that helps save lives or alleviate suffering in times of crisis whether human-made, such as war, or natural disasters such as bushfires and floods.
There are different kinds of humanitarian personnel. Humanitarians may be paid or be volunteers, and are a mix of local and international staff. All are protected under international law.
Aid workers deliver essential supplies such as food, water and medicine to people in need. They may also help distribute other resources such as sanitation........