ShelterBox Calls on Greater Safety for Aid Workers

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Santa Barbara – ShelterBox USA President Kerri Murray points out aid workers across the world are risking their lives to help the most vulnerable displaced people, and more precautions need to be taken to project them.

The United Nation reports 280 aid workers were killed worldwide in 2023, the deadliest ever, and a dramatic jump from 2022 when 118 workers died. 

“On this World Humanitarian Day, we advocate for the survival, the well-being and the dignity of people affected by crises, and for the safety of aid workers,” said Murray.

So far in 2022, the U.S. says 172 workers have been killed worldwide, including seven members of the World Central Kitchen team who perished in an airstrike in Gaza.  The need for aid workers keeps growing.

“Despite the universally accepted international laws to regulate the conduct of armed conflict and limit its impact, violations of these laws continue unabated, unchallenged and unchecked,” the UN said in a statement. 

“The UN estimates one in every 33 people worldwide needs humanitarian assistance and projection,” Murray said.  “The support of agencies including ShelterBox enables us to transform the lives of people displaced in disaster and the world’s most extreme conflict zones.”

The US reports and estimated 120 million people are forcibly displaced worldwide, the most in history.

ShelterBox has helped nearly three million people worldwide since its founding, is rated 100% on Charity Navigator and was twice nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for its work in the world’s worst disaster zones.

Kerri Murray is available for interviews