UNITED NATIONS, Apr 03 (APP): Amid record high Killing of humanitarian personnel in conflict zones around the world, Pakistan has called on the UN Security Council to push for sanctions and legal action against violators.
“impunity must end,” Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, permanent representative of Pakistan to the UN, told the 15-member Council during a debate on Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict.
“Impunity is not merely a failure of justice — it is a license for repetition, he said, adding, “Timely, independent and impartial investigations must hold perpetrators accountable.”
In this regard, the Pakistani envoy urged the creation of a “global implementation dashboard” for that resolution — it should provide real-time public tracking of violations, investigations and their outcomes “for everyone to see and follow”.
The escalating attacks on humanitarian personnel are not just isolated incidents — “they reflect a growing disregard for international norms,” Ambassador Asim said, adding that it is unacceptable that those who work to provide “dignity amidst displacement” are met “not with gratitude, but with gunfire”.
According to the Aid Worker Security Database, 379 humanitarian personnel were killed in 2024, making it the deadliest year on record.
While there are challenges in various situations such as Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, Haiti, Lebanon and Yemen, the Pakistani envoy said, nowhere is this crisis more evident than in Gaza, where 399 humanitarian workers, including 408 humanitarian workers, including 284 UNRWA personnel, have been killed since the October 23 Israeli war in the enclave.
“We are failing those who risk their lives and act as a lifeline to serve others.”
UNSC Resolution 2730, he said, unequivocally reaffirmed that humanitarian personnel must be protected in accordance with international law, underscoring that the promise of protection must be backed by action.
Pakistan also supports the call for mandatory integration of safety provisions into all UN mission mandates, especially during peacekeeping drawdowns and transitions.
Bureaucratic hurdles, and weaponization of humanitarian access as a war tactic must cease, Ambassador Asim told delegates.
“We must ensure public access to accurate and reliable information, monitor misinformation and disinformation related to UN and humanitarian activities, and sanction those responsible for spreading harmful content.”
Pakistan, he said, remains committed to supporting the effective implementation of resolution 2730 and to upholding the safety, dignity, and neutrality of all humanitarian and UN personnel,” the Pakistani envoy added.
“Let us ensure that the courage of humanitarian workers is matched by collective international resolve to protect them; This will be important to restore the credibility of this Council’s decisions.”
Earlier, two senior UN officials appealed in the Security Council for an end to attacks against humanitarians and personnel working for the global organization.
Joyce Msuya, Assistant Secretary-General with UN aid coordination office OCHA, and Gilles Michaud, head of the UN Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS) were speaking during a meeting on the protection of civilians in armed conflict.
Ms. Msuya issued a challenge to the Council members:
“Since we are here today to discuss the protection of aid workers, I must ask this Council: what are you going to do to help us find those answers and achieve justice – and avoid more killings?”
While there is no shortage of robust international legal frameworks to protect humanitarian and UN personnel, she said political will to comply is lacking.
Ms. Msuya noted that the vast majority of those killed, roughly 95 per cent, are local aid workers who are the cornerstone of relief efforts.
“These colleagues deserve our highest respect. Yet, conduct harming our local staff rarely elicits reaction or makes the news,” she remarked.
Humanitarians also face other challenges, such as the criminalization of their work. They are increasingly being detained, interrogated and accused of supporting terrorism simply for delivering aid to people in need.
Aid organizations are also targets of disinformation and misinformation campaigns in places such as Haiti, the Occupied Palestinian Territory, and Yemen.
Moreover, funding shortfalls threaten to make matters worse, forcing the humanitarian community to make impossible choices, Ms. Msuya underscored.
She described the adoption of Resolution 2730 as an important step in the right direction, then made three requests to the Council and Member States at large.
“First, act to ensure respect for international law and to protect humanitarian and UN workers,” she said, listing tangible steps such as Security Council visits, fact-finding missions, or withholding of arms transfers.
She also called for speaking out and condemning harm to UN and humanitarian personnel, including local staff, because “silence, inconsistency, and selective outrage only embolden perpetrators.”
Her final request was for accountability, highlighting the need to strengthen domestic and international legal frameworks to prosecute international crimes.
“The Security Council should play a key role in pushing for accountability; for instance, by asking concerned governments to pursue justice and by following up with them,” she suggested.
“When national jurisdictions fail, the Council can use international mechanisms, including by referring situations to the International Criminal Court.”
Ms. Msuya insisted that accountability is not only about prosecution but must also centre on those who survive.
In this regard, she reiterated the UN Secretary-General’s recommendation to adopt a survivor-centered approach to ensure that affected aid workers have a say in global discussions.
In his briefing, Michaud noted that progress has been elusive in getting more countries to join the Convention on the safety of UN and associated personnel, while attacks on humanitarian workers have continued unabated.
“Impunity for attacks on humanitarian personnel has become the new normal,” he said. “A pervasive normal. An accepted normal. One perpetuated not only by non-State actors, but also by governments and their proxies.”
He said that against a backdrop of widespread disregard for international humanitarian law, UN agencies are now forced to significantly reduce assistance due to budget cuts imposed by several Member States.
Humanitarian agencies are among the most affected, and the situation could lead to further insecurity.
“And if, where and when the United Nations and its partners are forced to deliver less aid, the risks to UN and humanitarian personnel will grow,” he warned.
“We are already seeing signs of this in Gaza and elsewhere. Humanitarian personnel may become the first target of people’s despair.”
Michaud said that the UN must – and will – adapt, adding that budgetary pressures will also impact the level of security support available.