Mid-year 2019 data on aid worker security incidents shows that 9 humanitarian workers have been killed, 13 kidnapped and 17 wounded in sub-Saharan Africa, according to research based on the Aid Worker Security Database (AWSD). * This toll is a result of 25 incidents that took place across 10 sub-Saharan countries including Nigeria, where two deaths are recorded so far in two separate incidents. Analysis of past trends shows that the numbers of attacks on humanitarian workers in the region is likely to increase through the end of 2019. Can Nigeria be an exception?
Attacks on Aid Workers in sub-Saharan Africa by the number of people affected in 2019 (until mid-June). Bar charts show breakdown of outcomes by color. Two attacks in Nigeria are highlighted on the map, and two deaths are recorded in the country in 2019 so far.
Humanitarian personnel are the aid workers who manage and develop emergency response programs within designated geographical areas that have been subjected to war, natural disasters or other environmental or developmental problems. As first responders to those in need and impacted by conflict, humanitarian personnel, both citizens and internationals, have subjected themselves to immense risk, including losing their lives.
Based on research, a United Nations Population Fund report concludes that conflict has been one of the leading drivers of humanitarian crises around the world. Such has been the case with Nigeria, where conflict dynamics move across ethnic lines, religious groups, resources, and insurgency. Conflict and instability in Nigeria, especially in the northern part of the country, has claimed thousands of lives and forced more than two million people to flee. The conflict has turned into a regional humanitarian crisis, also affecting neighboring countries: Cameroon, Chad and Niger. In addition, Boko Haram, a militant Islamist group, has been active and committing atrocious crimes in the north.
The list of incidents recorded in Nigeria. The figures show people affected by gender (unknown gender shown as gray). Colors show the attack context as recorded in the Aid Worker Security Database.
Analysis of the available data suggests that Nigeria is among the 10 most dangerous places for aid workers to operate in the last decade, not because of the frequency of attacks but because of their lethality.
There were 15 incidents against aid workers in Nigeria in the past ten years, from which 34 were killed, 56 were injured, and 11 kidnapped. Almost all the victims were citizens of Nigeria (97), and just four were international aid workers, one of which was killed and three were kidnapped. The most targeted institutions were UN Agencies (58 aid workers affected), followed by local NGOs (29), international NGOs (11). The gender of victims is largely unknown (62) in this database, with 27 of them having been identified as male and 10 as female.
The number of incidents against aid workers in Nigeria in the past 10 years is relatively small compared to other global hotspots such as Afghanistan (439), South Sudan (266), Somalia (328) or Yemen (53). However small in number, these incidents appear to be more forceful and lethal compared to other countries in the world. Just two attack resulted with about 60 aid workers being killed or injured.
Number of workers affected by incident, and by location of incident. Office/compound and project sites are the most frequent location types. Some points may include multiple incidents near their center.
The most devastating incident was a car bomb attack that hit the UN Housein the capital in August 2011. 9 aid workers were killed, and 37 were injuried, and the militant Islamist group Boko Haram claimed responsibility. Another high-impact attack, mistakenly carried out by a Nigerian fighter jet on a refugee camp in Borno State in January 2017, killed many displaced people in the camp, and 6 of the Red Cross employees. A further 8 of their colleagues were injured. Further analysis of incidents shows that these attacks, and most other attacks on aid workers in Nigeria, relate to Boko Haram, which has locked in a fierce battle with the Nigerian military for years.
Annual number of incidents on aid workers and their impact from 2008–2018. In 2018 (highlighted), compared to 2017, the number of incidents and affected workers decreased, except for kidnappings. Rankings are global.
The impact of devastating attacks also appear on the annual analysis of the number of incidents on aid workers, and their impact on human life. In 2011 and 2017, the attacks mentioned above cause the two main spikes on the number of workers affected, killed and wounded. This dataset also suggests that, starting in 2017, kidnapping has become a rising form of forceful intimidation on humanitarian personnel.
Humanitarian personnel put their lives at risk to come in need of those affected by conflict. A growing risk of safety and security makes it difficult for them to operate, it puts operational effectiveness of aid agencies at risk, and ultimately, it hurts vulnerable populations in need of basic support the most.
A version of this article has been published at Nigeria’s daily newspaper, Vanguard Nigeria. Read article here.
* Humanitarian Outcomes 2019, Aid Worker Security Database, accessed 11 June 2019. www.aidworkersecurity.org records major incidents of violence against aid workers worldwide. This project is supported by the Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance at USAID.
The analysis in this article uses the visual analytics platform for the Aid Worker Security Database created by Keshif.
