UN relief chief warns of 'normalization' of soaring attacks on aid workers

HAMILTON, Canada

UN relief chief Tom Fletcher on Monday denounced the growing violence against aid workers, warning that the killing of aid staff in conflict zones such as Yemen and the Gaza Strip is becoming "normalized."

"We're under attack. Last year, 380 plus aid workers killed, the highest ever. Two hundred and seventy already this year. It's a record that I fear will break again, and that violence against us -- and I'll come on to Yemen, for example, and of course the OPT (occupied Palestinian territories)/Gaza -- is somehow being normalized," Fletcher told reporters at UN headquarters in New York, saying: "It's an age of impunity."

He said one of the most pressing questions is "where are these weapons coming from that are killing us and those we serve? They don't come out of nowhere."

Asked if he was suggesting pressure should be applied on countries providing arms to Israel, Fletcher said the focus should remain on stopping attacks on aid workers.

"Now I don't know about arms embargoes, and those other questions are there for the political colleagues," he said, stressing: "I don't want my people, our people, to be killed. That goes for the courageous humanitarian workers and those we serve."

Fletcher added that humanitarian workers are increasingly being killed "in sophisticated ways," including by "lethal autonomous weapons, drones and so on, which are then targeting our installations and our people."

‘If we could flood Gaza with hundreds of trucks a day’

Criticizing Israeli rhetoric and attacks on civilian infrastructure in the enclave, Fletcher said: "We've heard Israeli ministers talking openly about flattening Gaza and forcing people out permanently, bombing food aid and so on."

"And I've said consistently, I don't think that we have to choose between condemning the starvation of civilians in Gaza and demanding the unconditional release of hostages. We must do both," he affirmed.

Asked about Hamas' role in obstructing aid delivery, Fletcher said the UN has not faced major obstacles from the group.

"Our assessment is that Hamas are broadly staying out of the way of the aid distribution, which we do through community networks and so on. We haven't had major obstacles from them," he said.

Saying that looting of aid convoys remains a serious challenge, Fletcher stressed that desperate civilians or armed gangs drive most incidents.

Looted items cannot be guaranteed will not end up in the hands of Hamas due to "chaotic conditions," he said, but added: "We feel very confident that we have a system that ensures the majority does get to civilians if we're allowed to operate."

"If we could flood Gaza with hundreds of trucks a day, the looting would go away, the prices in the markets would come down. So we know we can do that, and we can do that even in these incredibly difficult conditions that exist," he noted.

Fletcher also decried sharp funding cuts to UN operations, saying only 19% of the required funds have been received this year.

"That's a 40% drop from where we were last year. Devastating. Makes it an age of indifference," he said, adding that $29 billion could save 114 million lives, just 1% of annual global defense spending.