When rules are broken, civilians and aid workers die
Aid work is perhaps needed now more than ever, write FCA’s Executive Director Tomi Järvinen and Head of Humanitarian Response Jan De Waegemaeker.
THIS decade has been deadly for the humanitarian sector in many ways.
Last year alone, more than 200,000 people died as a result of armed conflict. They were someone’s children, parents, friends. People loved by their loved ones.
Aid workers like Finn Church Aid lost 383 colleagues in our sector last year. This year, 250 of our fellow humanitarian workers have already died, and it is only August. They provided vital assistance in the midst of some of the world’s most serious crises: in Gaza, Syria, Sudan, Ukraine, Myanmar, and Afghanistan, amongst others.They were teachers, nurses, drivers and many other professions dedicated to caring for the sick and wounded, protecting children and supporting the elderly and most vulnerable.
International humanitarian law prohibits attacks on civilians and aid workers. Yet, we are killed by airstrikes, explosions, shootings, and starvation. It seems that in 2025, warring parties no longer respect international rules. The primary task of these rules, and that of humanitarian work, is to protect human life in extreme conditions.
THE NEWS in recent weeks has been dominated by Gaza, where the humanitarian situation is catastrophic. The entire population of Gaza, some two million people, is living in food insecurity as a result of Israeli actions, and the number of deaths from starvation is rising sharply.
There are also serious humanitarian crises around the world that the general public knows little about. In Sudan, civil war has driven civilians into famine. Half of the population—about 25 million people—suffers from acute food insecurity. Twenty million Yemenis are in acute need of basic necessities such as food, healthcare, shelter, and protection.
Conflict, unrest, and natural disasters are increasing human suffering in countries such as Syria, Myanmar, Ukraine, and Haiti. The climate crisis is both amplifying and triggering crises meaning a future in which humanitarian needs will only grow.
AID WORK is now perhaps needed more than ever. Yet, recent years have been devastating for aid workers, funding for the sector, and the rules and values that underpin helping people.
Earlier this year, US President Donald Trump abolished the USAID development agency, which had been operating for 60 years, and at the same time shut off international aid. The decision was a death blow to many important aid projects.The United States has previously funded more than 40 percent of all humanitarian aid. Meanwhile in Finland, the government is already planning its fourth round of cuts to international aid.
These cuts mean more innocent people will die. In the future, there will be less aid available, and it will be distributed by parties that are not committed to international humanitarian law. We will then be unable to guarantee that aid will reach those who need it most, without conditions.
The cuts represent a radical shift in our values. Life-saving work is no longer considered important.
MANY of the deadly crises we are currently facing, including the situation in Gaza, are man-made. We humans also have the power to end the cruelty and ensure that children get food, young people have a future, and adults receive help to rebuild their lives. The future depends on the choices we make now.
World Humanitarian Day (19 August) reminds us that work in the midst of crises saves lives, but it cannot happen without protection, rules, and funding.
Tomi Järvinen, Executive Director, Finn Church Aid
Jan De Waegemaeker, Head of Humanitarian Response, Finn Church Aid