This year is on track to be one of the deadliest in recent history for Red Cross and Red Crescent aid workers - with 28 members killed in global crises so far.

       As the world faces an unprecedented number of armed conflicts, the charity has paid tribute to fallen staff and volunteers on the 75th anniversary of the Geneva Conventions.

       Of those who have lost their lives in 2024, 26 were killed in violence and conflict and two in accidents.

       This year’s figure has already surpassed the 18 members who died last year. Eight deaths were recorded in 2022, nine in 2020, five in 2019, eight in 2018, and 32 in 2017.

       The latest tragic list includes 17 members of the Palestinian Red Crescent, seven from the Sudanese Red Crescent, two from the Iranian Red Crescent, and one each from the Algerian Red Crescent and Ethiopian Red Cross Society.

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       Victims included paramedics Haitham Tubasi and Suhail Hassouna, who were killed when an Israeli airstrike struck their ambulance near Rafah, Gaza, on May 29.

       Their colleague, volunteer paramedic Tamer Halal Muhammad Saar, died after being shot in the West Bank on July 27 while evacuating wounded civilians.

       In Sudan, Fadu Daw El-Bait Abdallah was shot on May 11 while collecting humanitarian data and Hassan Adam Abdel Rahman Hamari died during flood rescue efforts.

       British Red Cross chief executive Béatrice Butsana-Sita said the organisation’s staff and volunteers were “often first to the scene delivering lifesaving aid” in times of crisis.

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       She added: “As they serve others, they often face great risks, including to their lives.

       “Our thoughts are with our dear colleagues who lost their lives while helping others, and with their loved ones and families who deeply miss them.

       “International humanitarian law is clear, medical and humanitarian workers must be protected, and the red cross and red crescent emblems must be respected."

       The four Geneva Conventions - or “rules of war” - were signed in 1949 and are the cornerstone of modern international humanitarian law.

       They protect people who do not take part in the fighting (civilians, medics, aid workers) and those who can no longer fight (wounded, sick and shipwrecked troops, prisoners of war).

       Kate Forbes, president of the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent, said: “Every day, our brave volunteers and staff members risk their lives to provide essential humanitarian aid and relief to those in dire need, often in the most dangerous and challenging environments.

       "The protection offered by the Geneva Conventions must be continually defended and reinforced.

       "I call upon all governments and all parties to honour their commitments under these treaties and ensure the safety and security of humanitarian aid workers and the civilians they serve.”