Operating in Insecurity - Shifting patterns of violence against humanitarian aid providers and their staff (1996-2010)

The number of aid workers killed, injured or kidnapped has risen to unprecedented levels in recent years. The Aid Worker Security Database (AWSD) indicates that in 2011 – the deadliest year on record for aid worker fatalities and kidnappings so far – approximately three aid workers lost their lives or were kidnapped every week. By comparison, in 2001, AWSD statistics indicate some five deaths or kidnappings in an average month. The majority of these fatalities and kidnapping victims are nationals of the country in crisis. Moreover, at the time they are kidnapped or sustain fatal injuries, an increasing proportion of victims are employed by international non- governmental organisations (INGOs) rather than UN agencies or the Red Cross Movement. At first glance, this also suggests that exposure to violence has shifted from expatriates to national staff members, and from UN agencies and Red Cross to NGOs. This report, based on the data from the Security in Numbers Database, discusses the shifts in reported security events among humanitarian agencies in relation to the broader changes in the global environment of humanitarian aid delivery.