Olivier Vandecasteele calls for better protection of aid workers on World Humanitarian Day
Olivier Vandecasteele called for better protection for humanitarian workers on World Humanitarian Day on Monday. Vandecasteele was arrested in Iran in 2022 and sentenced to 40 years in prison after a sham trial. He was released a year later in a prisoner exchange.
After his release, Vandecasteele founded the Protect Humanitarians fund, and with Legal Aid Worldwide and Protect Aid Workers, he is launching an appeal for better protection of humanitarian staff.
2023 was the deadliest year for aid workers on record, with a total of 595 people attacked and 280 killed. Around 95 per cent of incidents involved local staff.
The three organisations are calling for more to be done, including free legal aid for affected humanitarian workers and their families. They also want more investment in staff supervision and mental health services, such as trauma therapy for survivors.
"Put victims and survivors of attacks at the forefront of advocacy," they say. "Their experiences can guide the development of more supportive policies."
Neglected crisis
Also on Monday, Bruno Lemarquis, UN humanitarian coordinator in Congo, called for an end to the cycle of violence in the country. Six humanitarian workers have been killed in Congo since January and 11 others kidnapped.
"This crisis is not only one of the most neglected in the world, it is also one of the most tolerated," Lemarquis said. The country's humanitarian aid plan for 2024 is only 35 per cent funded, leaving "hundreds of thousands of vulnerable people out in the cold".
"This crisis is not only one of the most neglected in the world, it is also one of the most tolerated"
While humanitarian aid is "essential, it is not the solution to humanitarian problems", Lemarquis said. He called on all stakeholders in Congo to engage in the search for political solutions to the crisis.
© BELGA PHOTO NICOLAS MAETERLINCK
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