Safeguarding Humanitarian Workers: Addressing the Gaps in Security Risk Management

In 2024, the humanitarian community faced its deadliest year. Ahead of GISF's inaugural Global Security Risk and Policy Conference, Paul Westbury (GOAL) examines the gaps in resourcing and funding for security risk management, especially at the local level.

The Rising Toll on Humanitarian Life

Globally, 2024 marked the most fatal year on record for international aid workers, claiming the lives of 378 humanitarian agents, according to the latest figures from the Aid Worker Security Database. This stark figure represents an increase of 35% from 2023, which saw 281 humanitarian lives lost, driven by crises in Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, and beyond.

Although international binding laws exist to protect humanitarian personnel, the growing number of targeted attacks on aid workers shows that these protections are being increasingly disregarded. In South Sudan alone, more than 110 aid workers were killed between April 2023 and November 2024, as identified by figures from Insecurity Insights. In Lebanon, Relief Web identified targeted attacks on relief crews and medical vehicles, killing at least 120 humanitarian personnel in 2024. In Gaza, 212 aid workers suffered violent attacks in 2023, including aerial bombardment, kidnapping, and assault. With each violation of international law, the global humanitarian system becomes increasingly weakened.

“Humanitarian workers are being killed at an unprecedented rate, their courage and humanity being met with bullets and bombs.” Tom Fletcher, UN Under Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs.

According to the European Commission’s Global Humanitarian Overview 2025, over 307 million people across 72 countries require urgent humanitarian assistance and protection. An alarming paradox subsequently unfolds across the international aid community: as aid workers strive to reach more vulnerable populations than ever, the resources and attention dedicated to their safety grow increasingly scarce.

Security Risk Management

The risks associated with humanitarian assistance have always been widely acknowledged by the international community. To address these losses, aid organisations have implemented a global system of mitigation techniques known as security risk management (SRM) to effectively deliver programmes in high-risk regions. Effective SRM is not only essential for the unobstructed delivery of life-saving services, but also for the safety of humanitarian personnel. Whilst significant headway has been made in SRM, some worrying insights appear into the current state of global SRM. Lack of funding for effective SRM systems by international agencies and governments alike has had a disproportionately negative effect on local and national aid personnel.

Gaps Between Local and International Resourcing

With localised knowledge of the cultural, political, and geographical landscape, national aid agents are best positioned to steer on-the-ground aid efforts. However, this also places them in the most exposed positions, often at the front line of conflict.

Alarming figures from a 2024 Aid Worker Security Database (AWSD) report reveal that national aid workers experience higher rates of violence than international staff. Of the 595 victims recorded in 2023, 95.6% of these were national staff, while only 4.4% were international staff. A similar report by Humanitarian Outcomes and the Global Interagency Security Forum (GISF), highlighted that SRM tools and training are more often provided to international staff than to local NGO staff.

Despite this concerning reality, local staff are often the most overlooked actors when it comes to receiving adequate safety training. Insights from the Aid Worker Security Report 2023 highlighted that safety training and resources are more often provided to international staff than to local NGO staff. Across the board, national and local aid workers lack adequate staff in security roles, alongside the necessary budget for safety equipment and the funding to ensure that programme staff remain safe and ensure their continued ability to carry out life-saving services.

The Cost of Misplaced Spending

Despite the growing need for humanitarian assistance each year, investment in local and national security risk management remains alarmingly overlooked worldwide. According to a report by Development International, eight out of the top 20 donor countries reduced their humanitarian contributions in 2023.

Despite the Grand Bargain commitment to increase funding toward local and national actors, progress remains low. According to the European Commission’s Global Humanitarian Assistance Report, in 2023, only 4.4% of the targeted 25% budget allocation for local and national actors was received by these beneficiaries. Of this, only 0.6% was provided directly, without the involvement of intermediaries. Most of the funding remains directed toward resourcing and training international staff. This negligence not only jeopardises humanitarian programmes but directly endangers the lives of those on the frontlines. Misguided and insufficient security spending is a ticking time bomb threatening to unravel the entire humanitarian system unless immediate and strategic measures are taken.

“The chronic underinvestment in local and national security risk management is a serious concern. Inadequate and misplaced security spending threatens the entire humanitarian system. Humanitarian programmes cannot function without robust, well-funded security strategies that put local responders first. This isn’t just about training—it’s about engaging with communities, adapting to threats, and overhauling the way we approach risk management. At GOAL, we are pushing for real change, fostering practical solutions, and working through GISF to ensure humanitarian workers can operate with the safety and dignity they deserve.” Paul Westbury, Head of Global Safety and Access (GOAL)

GOAL and GISF’s Commitments to Safety and Security Access

GOAL‘s commitment to localisation, built on a foundation of mutual understanding and accountability, has never been more vital than it is now. Our commitment to localisation isn’t a rhetoric, it’s a call to action. To tackle this pressing crisis, we must go beyond basic safety training, we need to engage deeply with local communities, adapting our risk management strategies to meet ever-evolving threats head-on. At GOAL, we prioritise context-driven risk management strategies. We are committed to strengthening the capacity of local and national actors through increased funding at the sub-levels of programming, whilst ensuring safety and security training are adequately supported and funded. With operations in 17 countries across the world, GOAL is leading by example, fostering innovative security solutions to drive systemic change across the humanitarian sector.

This week the GISF Global Security Risk and Policy Conference will be held in Dublin, offering a critical opportunity for the international humanitarian community to explore practical solutions for protecting aid workers. As a dedicated member of GISF, GOAL, alongside other members, will actively contribute to discussions and initiatives aimed at transforming the security landscape of humanitarian organisations worldwide. By sharing critical insight and best practices with the wider humanitarian community, GOAL is playing a vital role in strengthening the global framework of security risk management. Through collaboration with GISF and member groups, we strive to create meaningful change, to protect our most heroic and vulnerable front-line responders.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author. They do not necessarily represent the views or position of GISF or the author’s employers.

About the author

Paul Westbury is Head of Global Safety and Access at GOAL. He also occupies a seat on the GISF Steering Group.

Image credit: © GOAL Global

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