Page 42 - SLC PR REPORT - AUGUST 2024

Mariam Al Hammadi, Director General of The Big Heart Foundation.

"It is no overstatement to assert that as the number of individuals requiring international
assistance has surged from 50 million in 2003 to over 360 million in 2023, humanitarian work
has simultaneously become one of the most perilous professions globally. The imbalance is
both unnatural and untenable. Humanitarian workers operating in conflict zones, offering critical
support and aid to victims, must be afforded robust international protection. This imperative calls
for immediate and concerted global action to establish a binding international framework that
guarantees unequivocal and non-negotiable immunity.

"Historically, the primary risk to humanitarian work was inadvertent targeting during wars and
conflicts. However, recent developments, particularly in Gaza, have starkly illustrated that the
scope of these dangers is far more extensive. The past few months alone have seen the loss of
over 274 humanitarian workers and more than 500 healthcare professionals in Gaza,
underscoring the escalating threats that now extend well beyond what was once anticipated,"
Mariam Al Hammadi adds.

"Addressing these facts is not a political statement, as some might suggest, but rather a critical
examination of our shared humanitarian responsibilities. The absence of relief workers and aid
efforts would leave a void in our global society, stripping away the essential support systems
that emerge from the chaos of conflict to protect the innocent, restore order, and uphold justice.
Without the dedication of humanitarian hands, the world would become a harsher, more
unforgiving place, where the vulnerable are left to fend for themselves against overwhelming
adversity. These individuals require not only recognition but robust protection and unwavering
support, as they are the very pillars sustaining the humanitarian principles we collectively value,
especially in times of profound crisis.

https://www.gulftoday.ae/news/2024/08/18/humanitarian-work-one-of-the-world-most-
dangerous-jobs