BRUSSELS, (Unib Rashid) – European Commissioner for Crisis Management, Preparedness and Equality Hadja Lahbib has called for justice and accountability for those responsible for killing humanitarian workers, stressing that simply counting the victims is not enough.

In a message marking World Humanitarian Day, Lahbib said that humanitarian workers who lose their lives while serving vulnerable communities must not be reduced to statistics, and that those responsible for attacks against them must be held accountable.

According to Lahbib, 83 humanitarian workers were killed, 36 abducted and 98 injured in 2026 alone.

“On World Humanitarian Day, we pay tribute to those who risk everything to reach people in desperate need, from Sudan to Gaza and Ukraine,” she said, adding that attacks against humanitarian personnel constitute violations of international humanitarian law.

Lahbib emphasized that behind every casualty figure is an individual with a name and a story — a nurse, a driver or a colleague who never returned home.

“On this World Humanitarian Day, counting those killed is not enough,” she said, stressing the need to ensure justice and accountability and to end impunity for those responsible for attacks on people serving humanity.

The European Commissioner’s message highlighted the growing risks faced by humanitarian personnel worldwide and renewed calls for stronger protection of aid workers under international law.