On the frontlines of crises: World Humanitarian Day 2024

In a region that is home to one of the largest displaced populations in the world, the work done by NGOs such as DRC is crucial in ensuring that people can live dignified lives, become more resilient in the face of the effects of conflict and climate change, and find durable solutions.

Humanitarian staff across the region face increasing difficulties in reaching affected communities, as well as threats to their own safety in conflict areas.

According to the Aid Workers Security Database, South Sudan remains one of the most dangerous countries for humanitarians, with more staff wounded, killed or kidnapped than anywhere else in the world over the past 10 years, with a sad record of attacks in 2023. In DR Congo, humanitarian staff and convoys are regularly targeted by armed groups, impairing the delivery of life-saving assistance to displaced communities.

More than 170 security incidents targeting aid workers were recorded during the first half of 2024, causing at least four deaths, twenty injuries and a dozen abductions. Most of the casualties are national staff. Constraints, however, are not limited to physical violence: they also include bureaucratic impediments, operational interference and looting, among others.

“For the past 15 months since April 2023, the crisis in Sudan has displaced millions of people, humanitarian assistance is what brings a difference between life and death in such dire circumstances. That is why for me, I remain committed to staying and helping to alleviate human suffering in the most urgent cases of distress,” says Maxwell George,DRC Area Manager in Sudan.

In the face of growing humanitarian needs and funding gaps, the impact on affected populations is palpable. More than 86 million people in the EAGL region need humanitarian assistance and protection, making a conducive environment for humanitarian workers all the more crucial for the benefit of the people we are trying to support.